Ethiopian Cuisine

At first glance, you don’t think that the two words should go together, right? But despite the political and natural atrocities that have occurred in Ethiopia, its cuisine is uniquely complex, vibrant, and delicious.

If you’ve ever eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant, you know that you’re typically served meat stew, known as wat, along with vegetables, placed on top of a spongey crêpe-like bread called injera.

You eat with your hands, using the injera to pick up the food. It’s a fabulous experience, and one I highly recommend. This is what injera looks like up close! Plus a photo of a young woman making injera from the cookbook I mention below.

My first time eating Ethiopian food? In my dining room when I was in high school. It was during the period of time when my mother was cooking a different international cuisine every week or so. It would be German, then Chinese, then Russian, then Indian, then Ethiopian! Crazy mama.

I remember really enjoying all the smells and the flavors of the Ethiopian dishes, although some of them were too hot-spicy for me. Sadly, I was a little slow developing my taste for anything hot-spicy, even salsa!

The book my mother cooked out of was – you guessed it – the Time Life Series called Foods of the World – African Cooking.

Although I do own a few Ethiopian cookbooks, this one contains two “seasoning mixtures” that are an integral part of preparing traditional Ethiopian food, so I always refer to it for these recipes.

One mixture is a dark, rich paste called Berberé. I’ve seen it in powdered form at spice shops, but do make it from scratch the first time you start cooking Ethiopian.

The second is niter kebbeh. Delicious onion, garlic, and spices simmered in butter, then strained.

For the next few days I will be posting on these very important spice mixtures. And then we will start baking and cooking Ethiopian cuisine!

By Published On: November 12th, 202096 Comments on Ethiopian Cuisine

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

96 Comments

  1. Just Add Attitude March 25, 2013 at 1:03 PM - Reply

    How wonderful that your mother had a period when she cooked from a different international cuisine each week and what a lovely way to learn about other countries.

  2. Conor Bofin March 25, 2013 at 4:04 PM - Reply

    Mimi, that post reminds me of the Berberé spice that my brother brought back from Ethiopia a few years ago. I got great value from it. He tells me that, over there, each village will have it’s own version and each family it’s own variation on the village version. It was wonderful while it lasted. He resides in Tanzania now and I have not managed to persuade him to nip across the border and send me more.
    Best,
    Conor

    • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 5:09 PM - Reply

      oh I’m jealous. I’ve always wanted to go to Ethiopia.
      I understand that about berberé as well, that the spice mixtures vary. Just like curry powders and garam masalas in different Indian families and different villages, as well.
      Try making this and see if it’s similar! It’s very good.

  3. colormusing March 25, 2013 at 5:21 PM - Reply

    Ooh, I love making my own spice blends! (Harissa is my most recent discovery.) Can’t wait to try this!

    • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 5:23 PM - Reply

      Harissa is so good. This one is definitely worth trying! Love your blog!

  4. Michelle March 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM - Reply

    The Time-Life books were, to this girl in a small town back in the early Seventies, the most wonderful things ever. We had some, but our neighbors had ALL and I just loved to go next door and spend hours leafing through. Isn’t it wonderful that they still hold up?

    • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM - Reply

      Oh that’s so fun to read! I love that you loved them! Do you have the complete set now?

      • Michelle March 25, 2013 at 9:04 PM

        Not complete, but lots. Some from my mom, some from second-hand stores. But, I don’t have African Cooking, so will definitely be on the lookout for it! What about you? Do you have them all?

      • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 9:13 PM

        I’m 57. How old are you?!! If you’re younger than I am, then you were definitely a “foodie!” In the 70’s I was in college. When I got married my mother gifted me with her set. Not sure if I have Vienna…. But that might be it.

      • Michelle March 25, 2013 at 9:18 PM

        53, so not much different in age. Oh, and it wasn’t just the food books in those days. I loved the TIme-Life travel and science books too. So, not just a foodie. Just a nerd. :) But, lucky you, for having almost the whole cooking set. I love that they were edited by Richard Olney.

      • chef mimi March 26, 2013 at 8:22 AM

        oh yeah. I was thinking it was james beard. I was a nerd, too.

  5. Bam's Kitchen (@bamskitchen) March 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM - Reply

    Love all those spices together. Now what are you going t make with it?

    • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 9:01 PM - Reply

      Stay tuned! Sikh ski wat, yewollo ambasha, door wat…….

    • chef mimi March 25, 2013 at 9:04 PM - Reply

      Stay tuned! Sik sik wat, yewollo ambasha, doro wat…….

  6. richardmcgary March 25, 2013 at 9:47 PM - Reply

    Nice post, Mimi. So, you make the paste. Have you tried the dry spice blend to compare to the flavor of the paste? I’m curious and now have a lot of the dry spice bend (enough to last a while) and don’t really want to make the paste for a side by side comparison. ;) The red wine berbere paste is very intriguing to me.

    • chef mimi March 26, 2013 at 8:20 AM - Reply

      I know, the red wine aspect is interesting. No, I’ve never bought the spice blend, so I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure this would be authentic, so the point that the authors researched the cuisine. There’s a lot of speculation that they really rushed through publishing these books. I think James Beard was also involved as an author/editor, but I don’t know if he was involved with the international cookbooks.

  7. abrooke65 March 26, 2013 at 12:09 AM - Reply

    Chef Mimi, this is gorgeous. I love Ethiopian food, but never dared to try making it myself, though I just went wild in the spice store. I cannot wait to see what’s next. When you get a chance could you recommend your 5 favorite cookbooks, new or old? I’ve got Gran Cocina Latina on my list from you and this year and I’m loving Jerusalem. I’d love to know what else you’d recommend. Thanks for the consistently good content!

    • chef mimi March 26, 2013 at 8:18 AM - Reply

      You are so nice!!! I would be hard to list only five, but let me think on it. Do you want all international cookbooks?

      • abrooke65 March 26, 2013 at 10:21 AM

        :) Thanks for responding….whichever 5 you find most useful. I tend to like foreign cuisine, but a lot of American incorporates that too!

  8. mycookinglifebypatty March 26, 2013 at 9:50 AM - Reply

    Love the spices and your photos of them! Inspiring me to use these.

  9. Choc Chip Uru March 26, 2013 at 2:00 PM - Reply

    Lovely photos my friend this meal is so delicious :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    • chef mimi March 26, 2013 at 3:30 PM - Reply

      You are so sweet! How is everything going?

  10. ChgoJohn March 26, 2013 at 6:17 PM - Reply

    I have eaten at Ethiopian restaurants and the initiation was a bit daunting. Now I enjoy introducing others, just to see the look of bewilderment as they notice others dining. Thank you for posting your recipe for berberé. Having a jar handy in the fridge certainly does open up a world of opportunities.

  11. apuginthekitchen March 26, 2013 at 8:40 PM - Reply

    The spicing in Ethiopian food is fantastic, I have only eaten it in restaurants and have never attempted to make it myself. I must try this.

    • chef mimi March 26, 2013 at 8:51 PM - Reply

      It’s really fun!!! Such great flavors…..

  12. myhomefoodthatsamore March 27, 2013 at 9:14 AM - Reply

    I am sure it tastes wonderful, paprika ‘warts’ and all!

  13. Sophie33 March 27, 2013 at 2:12 PM - Reply

    There is a really good Ethiopean restaurant in the center of Brussels. I have been there often now & I love their unique cuisine & to make berberé from scratch at home sounds even better! :) Waw, well-done, dear Mimi! :) xxxx

    • chef mimi March 27, 2013 at 3:30 PM - Reply

      In Brussels! Incredible! And thank you!

  14. dedy oktavianus pardede March 30, 2013 at 6:29 AM - Reply

    wow, you’ve made it from scratch…
    instead of my homemade garam masala post, this is a very tempting to try n yet had a lot of ingredient…

  15. Jody and Ken April 1, 2013 at 4:27 PM - Reply

    Hi, Mimi–We love stuff that you put in jars and get to take out a spoonful at a time to flavor things. This definitely sounds worth doing, especially in conjunction with the wat recipe. Funny coincidence, I happened to mention Richard Olney in an answer to a comment on our last post. He was, among other things, the editor of the Time-Life Foods of the World series, including the book in your photo. Ken

  16. John Kinyua September 11, 2013 at 4:21 PM - Reply

    Hi chef mimi
    Found this competition that I think some of you might be interested in!
    They are looking for people that can cook the national dishes of their country and you can win an iPad mini or money.
    Here’s the presentation about the competition:
    http://www.slideshare.net/IngredientMatcher/competition-from-ingredient-matcher-cook-your-national-dish-25773568

    And here’s their facebook page:
    https://www.facebook.com/IngredientMatcher

  17. polianthus January 9, 2014 at 12:34 PM - Reply

    hey mimi – I cook from an ethiopian cookbook a friend brought back for me – the nutritional institute of ethiopia published it, has guidelines on how to kill and pluck and gut a chicken, how to sort through your pulses for stones etc and makes you aware of what being a true houseperson without mod cons – and I am sure most of us dont regard buying a prepared chicken as a mod con anymore as we have moved on to chicken breasts cooked and sliced (not here until very recently but in the US for eons) – also got the berbere from Ethiopia, it is really really hot, am sure the paprika gives it the right colour . but think usually the red is chili pepper? Have you tried buying some and comparing – if you do use less than you would in your regular mix as otherwise it might kill you :) I used 100g of Berbere the first time I made Doro Wat which was a reduction of about 1/5 versus what the ethiopian recipe said to use and it was almost impossible for us to eat. thanks for posting P.

    • chef mimi January 9, 2014 at 2:13 PM - Reply

      funny, I’ve heard of this cookbook from another commenter before! I haven’t purchased berbere, just because I make it occasionally. You know, I think it’s just like absolutely everything in global cuisine – no one family makes something the same way. The berbere recipe I’ve always used, because I like it, is spicy, but definitely not as you described, although there are 2 tablespoons of pure cayenne in the berbere recipe… This is worth looking in to, but I think there are just so many variances in berbere. I just made chimichurri, and discovered there are an infinite number of recipes for it. I’m sorry, I have no idea, but I do have someone I can ask.

  18. polianthus January 9, 2014 at 3:25 PM - Reply

    agree- each family has their own recipe, and the most important thing is to like it. Love the pic of the glass with the spice mix btw. Did you make your own injera, thats something I have found to be really difficult..

    • chef mimi January 9, 2014 at 3:39 PM - Reply

      Thank you. No, I absolutely did not. I own teff, but to turn it in to injera sounds nearly impossible, so I’ve never tried. Did you?

  19. Or Leibovitch May 9, 2014 at 5:42 PM - Reply

    The Ethiopian cuisine Offers a wide range of Surprising dishes:

    Breads such as:
    injera , dabo and ambasha.

    Pulse dishes such as:
    Yekik alicha – yellow split peas with turmeric sauce
    Azifa – mashed lentils and red onion
    kik wat -red lentils in berbere sauce

    Porridge such as:
    Baso – sweet Barley porridge
    Kincha – Spiced wheat porridge, served hot

    Beverages such as:
    Tila – bitter beer with an amber colore (home made)
    Avish – soft drink made from fenugreek and honey

    You can get Ethiopian spices for those dishes on: http://www.themiddleeastspice.com
    For only 2.99$ per 4oz of spice

  20. Fassica (@FassicaFoods) November 19, 2015 at 12:28 AM - Reply

    Love the recipe. If anyone looking for Ethiopian spice, check out http://www.fassica.com

  21. Jovina Coughlin November 12, 2020 at 7:10 AM - Reply

    Some lovely dishes here.

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 7:16 AM - Reply

      Ethiopian food is just magnificent!

  22. angiesrecipes November 12, 2020 at 8:15 AM - Reply

    I love your crazy mama! She is so open minded and willing to try foreign things. Your ethiopian meal looks delicious, and authentic!

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 8:40 AM - Reply

      Hahaha! She was such a good cook, and none of us appreciated it. But she kept cooking!

  23. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen November 12, 2020 at 9:22 AM - Reply

    Well, I can’t wait for your next posts!!!

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 9:22 AM - Reply

      Thank you Dorothy! I made a stew and bread and had friends over and they’re still talking about how wonderful it all was! So unique.

  24. Ronit Penso Tasty Eats November 12, 2020 at 9:49 AM - Reply

    One of my favorite cuisines! I often use Berberé spice mix, and cooked a few Ethiopian stews, but never tried making Injera bread, and it’s just not the same without it. Looking forward to seeing your recipes. :)

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 10:22 AM - Reply

      Isn’t it wonderful?! I wish I could make injera, or buy it!

      • Ronit Penso Tasty Eats November 12, 2020 at 5:52 PM

        That would be great! Unfortunately, the Ethiopian restaurants I know are reluctant to sell it without the food. I once ordered it frozen online, for a party, but it was quite expensive and it wasn’t as good as the fresh.

  25. Debra November 12, 2020 at 5:13 PM - Reply

    I’m excited to see what you might share, Mimi. I love Ethiopian food! I, too, love injera, and everything about eating with my fingers. The flavors in this wonderful cuisine are just unmatched, I think!

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 5:15 PM - Reply

      I do too. Such unique flavors. And like you said, so much fun to eat! I’m going to post on the two important seasoning paste and butter, then a different bread, and a chicken stew.

  26. jenniferguerrero1 November 12, 2020 at 6:57 PM - Reply

    Yum! I always love the Marcus Samuelsson books. He does a macaroni and cheese with greens with a spiced butter that sounds an awful lot like that last flavor block you mention. I can’t wait to see all your fun this week!

    • chef mimi November 12, 2020 at 6:58 PM - Reply

      Thank you! Ethiopian cuisine is magnificent. You’ll see!

  27. Tandy | Lavender and Lime November 12, 2020 at 9:53 PM - Reply

    I’m most looking forward to the recipe for niter kebbeh.

    • chef mimi November 13, 2020 at 6:54 AM - Reply

      When you make it your house smells like a lovely spice shop!

  28. The Parmigiana Whisperer November 13, 2020 at 3:51 AM - Reply

    I have never been to an Ethiopian restaurant! such a shame, those dishes look delicious! definitely planning to go after lockdown, thanks for sharing! :)

    • chef mimi November 13, 2020 at 6:54 AM - Reply

      I hope there’s one you can go to – it’s such a wonderfully unique experience!

  29. David @ Spiced November 13, 2020 at 6:16 AM - Reply

    Well that sounds like a fun project – your mom must’ve loved getting creative in the kitchen! I haven’t had the chance to try Ethiopian food, but Laura went to an Ethiopian place back when we lived in Atlanta. I remember her talking about the flatbread that they used for all of the dishes! Looking forward to learning more in your next posts!

    • chef mimi November 13, 2020 at 6:52 AM - Reply

      Thank you David, that’s sweet. I’m a bit obsessed! But it’s so unique.

  30. Abbe@This is How I Cook November 13, 2020 at 5:40 PM - Reply

    My mother used to love those Time-Life books, too. Love this new blog look also! And berbere? Well, I have a favorite spice paste that I love using when grilling that is a berbere mixture. So good!

    • chef mimi November 13, 2020 at 5:47 PM - Reply

      Isn’t that interesting?!! And they’re how I started cooking, because they were my only cookbooks back then! Berberé really is fabulous!

  31. Frank Fariello November 14, 2020 at 8:29 AM - Reply

    I love Ethiopian food! My first time eating it was actually in Ethiopia, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the communal way of eating, which is so much fun. Luckily we have a plethora of Ethiopian restaurants in the DC metro area, legacy of the troubles there during the 1970s and 80s. But it’s been a while…

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 8:50 AM - Reply

      Oh I’m so envious! I’ve always wanted to go to Ethiopia. What an experience. It’s such an incredible cuisine.

  32. Fran @ G'day Souffle' November 14, 2020 at 10:33 AM - Reply

    Ah, I remember thie Time-Life cookbook series- I believe they were from the 1970s! And yes, I rember eating at an Ethiopian restaurant in Adelaide, South Australia. Word does get around! I look forward to some of your recipes coming up!

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 10:46 AM - Reply

      Oh fabulous. Yes, I’m 64, and my mother used them, then bought a set for me when I married in 1982. That’s all I had until I realized there were other cookbooks out there! Ethiopian cuisine is so fabulous.

  33. David Scott Allen November 14, 2020 at 11:18 AM - Reply

    One of my favorite cuisines, and I have even become quite adept at making injera at home. Doro wat is probably my favorite to make but I want to start learning the lentil dishes. And I always make a big batch of berbere and sometimes can find some niter kibbeh in my fridge. I started making it with ghee to shorten the process… I had a friend who had that series and I wish she had left it in her will to me. (Rude, huh?) She used it all the time…

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 12:19 PM - Reply

      Yes! I made mine with ghee! That’s the next post, I think – niter kebbeh. Love that stuff! It is a wonderful cuisine. Please post on injera!

  34. Healthy World Cuisine November 14, 2020 at 12:33 PM - Reply

    Can’t wait! How fun this is going to be! I wonder what recipe you will start with. It does not matter as we love all of your dishes. Stay well and take care Mimi!

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 12:38 PM - Reply

      Aw, that’s really sweet. I made these posts originally back when I had 3 followers, but I’m glad to have revamped them. They are amazing dishes.

  35. Laura November 14, 2020 at 1:31 PM - Reply

    Last year, when we could get takeout at our neighborhood farmer’s market, there was a stand for Ethiopian food! It was absolutely wonderful, although I think they may have cut down the spice level for “American tastes”. But it was still so tasty! So glad I tried it! And what a wonderful and creative Mom you had! She sounds amazing to make all those different cuisines for you!

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 2:16 PM - Reply

      She was pretty nuts in the kitchen. Which is why I grew up being such a food snob. She didn’t teach me how to cook, but I was exposed to such fabulous cuisines and flavors. That gave me a big boost when it was time to learn cooking. Ethiopian is fabulous.

  36. thatskinnychickcanbake November 14, 2020 at 5:49 PM - Reply

    My mom loved to try new cuisines, too! Not all her dishes were well loved the first time around, but we were lucky to be exposed to some lovely dishes. I don’t think any Ethiopian food was on her radar, but this it sounds like there could be some fun interactive dining with these recipes!

    • chef mimi November 14, 2020 at 5:55 PM - Reply

      Then you’re very lucky as well, because I think it definitely helps when you start cooking, which I didn’t do till I married. I was familiar with lots of ingredients, like produce and spices. It really helped. Hope you enjoy what I have coming. It’s a really unique cuisine.

  37. Dennis Yannakos November 15, 2020 at 2:23 AM - Reply

    This combination looks so interesting! This is the firts time I have seen it!
    Cool Kitchen Utensils

    • chef mimi November 15, 2020 at 6:54 AM - Reply

      It’s a wonderful cuisine!

  38. sippitysup November 15, 2020 at 5:56 PM - Reply

    I’ve never cooked Ethiopian, but there is a “Little Ethiopia” section of Los Angeles with at least five authentic Ethiopian restaurants in a two block span. I’m happy to say I’ve sampled most of them so your gorgeous photos look deliciously familiar. GREG

    • chef mimi November 15, 2020 at 5:57 PM - Reply

      Oh my, I’m so envious. We’ve only been to one in Denver, one in Houston, and one in Brooklyn. They are few and far between unless you’re in the big cities…

  39. neil@neilshealthymeals.com November 16, 2020 at 3:03 AM - Reply

    Lynne and I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in Frankfurt. It was our first Ethiopian eating experience and it was amazing. And yes we had meat stew served in injera bread. Thanks for bringing back those amazing memories. Looking forward to those spice mixtures.

    • chef mimi November 16, 2020 at 6:41 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I’m so glad you had that experience!

  40. strawberryandcream November 16, 2020 at 4:44 PM - Reply

    Wow this looks so good! I didn’t know you could make Berberé from scratch – I’ll have to try that someday!

  41. Raymund November 17, 2020 at 3:41 PM - Reply

    I love communal eating, it add liveliness to dining. I had heard of this Ethiopian cuisine before and love to try them ever since, quite hard to find a restaurant here that offers that so perhaps I will do it at home

    • chef mimi November 17, 2020 at 3:46 PM - Reply

      Well, it’s just basic cooking, but these two spice preparations are important. The second one is posting tomorrow. Then you can make all kinds of dishes!

  42. Ron November 19, 2020 at 7:02 AM - Reply

    I loved the Time Life Foods of the World books. I seems I remember it came about once a month and had a hardcover book and spiral recipe book like you picture. I think my favorite one was the Latin American Cooking issue. I don’t remember the issue you have, but then that was years ago. Wish I still had that set of recipe books…

    • chef mimi November 19, 2020 at 2:10 PM - Reply

      I think they’re all fabulous and yes, there’s a larger book and the smaller recipe booklet. Doing all of Africa in only one book was a bit crazy, but I’ve also read from Craig Claiborne that he regretted doing the series so quickly. I don’t remember the details of what he said. But I love them, and it’s how I learned to cook!

  43. Karen (Back Road Journal) November 29, 2020 at 1:38 PM - Reply

    I remember the first time I had Ethiopian food, it was at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. that my husband had heard about. Going with friends was fun, watching as all the items came out served on large circular platters laid with injera. How lucky to grow up with a mother that shared her love of cooking and foods from around the world with you.

    • chef mimi November 29, 2020 at 2:22 PM - Reply

      In retrospect, it was wonderful, and helped me a lot because I was familiar with many ingredients. but at the time! It was a little crazy!

  44. Tanu Oberoi November 10, 2023 at 8:46 AM - Reply

    it’s a wonderful exploration of Ethiopian cuisine! 🇪🇹🍲 The article beautifully introduces readers to the rich flavors, diverse dishes, and cultural significance of Ethiopian food. It’s evident how passionate you are about this cuisine, and your detailed descriptions and personal experiences add depth to the culinary journey you’ve shared. Thanks for taking us on this flavorful adventure and opening our eyes to the delights of Ethiopian cuisine. It’s a reminder of the beauty of cultural exploration through food. 🙏🍽️🌍 #EthiopianCuisine #CulinaryExploration 📝🌟

    • Chef Mimi November 11, 2023 at 6:29 AM - Reply

      Thank you! It’s such a wonderful cuisine.

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