We love to share recipes of various Afro multicultural cuisines, to celebrate the rich and delicious variety of food from the motherland and the motherland diaspora. This week on our Afro Cuisine recipe is called Zigni Berbere or Zigne Berbere. It is another #TastyThursday and we want you to savor a taste of Africa. You can search for the ingredients in African stores around you; or better still take a trip to Africa and give your tastebuds a treat.
Zigni Berbere is a beef stew dish that is very popular in Eritrean cuisine! It is made with tomatoes, red onions, and a special spice blend called Berbere. The stew is traditionally eaten with injera, a spongy flatbread made from fermented batter. The grain used is called tef and isn’t widely available; so if you don’t find tef at the local Afro store; feel free to serve with regular flatbreads or rice instead.
Ingredients For Zigni Berbere
- 50ml vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1k free-range skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
- 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 125ml dry red wine (optional)
- Bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Eritrean injera flatbreads (or regular flatbreads) or rice and a green salad to serve
Preparations
For Berbere pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 7 tablespoons mixed mild and hot paprika
For Stew
- In a large pan, heat a glug of oil. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until starting to colour, then add the garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes more or until the onions are golden.
- Mix the berbere ingredients in a small bowl and set aside (or see tip). Add the chicken to the onions and fry, turning, until starting to colour. Add the remaining ingredients, including the berbere blend, and simmer gently until the meat is tender (1-1½ hours). Taste, season and serve with the accompaniments.