Add Shiro & Dinnich Wat post for WPA
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Garrett Mills 3 weeks ago
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@ -9,35 +9,35 @@ tags:
- stew
---
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-1.jpg">
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-1.jpg">
Despite our [previous explorations](/food/c/ET) of meat-featuring special-occasion foods, Ethiopian cuisine is perhaps most famously known for its wide variety of vegan dishes. This is largely due to traditions of the Oriental Orthodox church, which bars the consumption of animal products during times of fasting.[^1]
This week's dish is _misir wot_.[^2] Similar to our first foray, the [_doro wat_](http://localhost:8000/food/2024/07/27/ET-Doro-Wat/), _misir wot_ is a thick stew but this time made from lentils (red, traditionally)[^3] instead of chicken, and, according to today's recipe, is "one of the most commonly prepared vegetarian dishes."
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-2.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-3.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-2.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-3.jpg"></div>
</div>
This week I wanted to switch it up, so I'm using a recipe from "Auntie Tsehai Cooks: A Guide to Making Authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine" by Tsehai Fessehatsion and Erin Peterson. According to her bio, Tsehai is a traditional Ethiopian cook who grew up learning from her mother. I happened upon this book when browsing for Ethiopian cookbooks at IndyPL.
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-4.jpg">
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-4.jpg">
<center>The ingredients I used. Not pictured: salt, oil, <i>injera</i> bread.</center>
Unlike the _doro_ which called for very finely diced onion, Tsehai calls for straight-up onion paste.[^4] I achieved this using the small side of my box grater. Like the _doro_, though, she calls for the onion to be cooked initially without any oil.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-5.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-6.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-5.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-6.jpg"></div>
</div>
<center>I'm not crying; you're crying.</center>
After dry-frying the onions slowly to caramelize them,[^5] we add in the _berbere_, a diced tomato, tomato paste, ginger, and garlic.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-7.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-8.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-7.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-8.jpg"></div>
</div>
The resulting paste is cooked over low heat for ~10 minutes to help the flavors develop. Then, rinsed (not soaked) lentils are added. This is where the technique was most interesting to me. I'm used to adding lentils along with plenty of water for cooking and just walking away and letting it simmer.
@ -45,14 +45,14 @@ The resulting paste is cooked over low heat for ~10 minutes to help the flavors
According to Tsehai, since consistency is such a core tenet of Ethiopian cooking, cooks will tend sauces while they cook to ensure they develop the correct consistency. This technique is reflected here -- we are instructed to add water 3 tablespoons at a time, only as it is absorbed by the lentils, to maintain the correct consistency.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-9.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-10.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-11.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-9.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-10.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-11.jpg"></div>
</div>
All told, this took about 4.5 cups of hot water added over the course of about 45 minutes until the lentils had cooked to the correct done-ness. Despite the more-involved nature of the cooking, I really liked this approach. It let me add more water based on how much longer the sauce needed to cook, rather than cooking the sauce longer because the water needed to evaporate.
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-12.jpg">
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-12.jpg">
I served the _misir_ with some _injera_ flatbread. The resulting sauce _is_ spicy, yes, but I continue to be amazed at how well the techniques take the edge off of the spice and blend it into the dish. I _really_ liked the _misir_; it's probably my favorite of the Ethiopian dishes we've tried so far, and definitely one I'd make again on a week night.
@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ There was no way I was going to finish all the _injera_ before it spoiled, and I
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<div style="flex: 0.5"></div>
<div style="flex: 1"><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-13.jpg"></div>
<div style="flex: 1"><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-13.jpg"></div>
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@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ It's not perfect, and the thawed _injera_ is a bit less flexible than its fresh
(Also, I ate the leftover _misir_ for lunch over white rice -- highly recommend.)
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<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-14.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-15.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/misir-16.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-14.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-15.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-misir/optimized/misir-16.jpg"></div>
</div>
All images in this post were taken by me. I borrowed "Auntie Tsehai Cooks: A Guide to Making Authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine" from the fantastic Indianapolis Public Library.

@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
---
title: Shiro & Dinnich Wat
date: 2024-08-25 19:00:00
slug: ET-Shiro
country: ET
tags:
- potato
- vegetarian
- stew
---
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-1.jpg">
We conclude our exploration of Ethiopian cuisine this week with a double-header: _shiro_, a thick sauce made from powdered chickpeas, and _dinnich wat_, a spicy _wat_ made with potatoes.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-2.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-4.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-3.jpg"></div>
</div>
Our recipes this week come from "Cooking With Imaye" by Lena Deresse, a delightful little book of recipes that memorialize her cooking journey with her mother. The _dinnich_ is similar to the [_doro wat_](/food/2024/07/27/ET-Doro-Wat) we tried previously, however the shiro was an interesting departure.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the ingredients before we started. I was joined by my sister when we cooked this, so the chaos levels were high.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-5.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-6.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-7.jpg"></div>
</div>
Both recipes start with the same onion base, so we did a large batch. As is customary, this begins by dry-cooking the onions over a low heat until they begin to soften. Here, we used a mixture of red and yellow onion.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-8.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-9.jpg"></div>
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Once the onions soften, Lena calls for what I can only describe as a cholesterol-wrenching amount of fat. The onions slowly cook down in the fat for a bit longer. Then, we split the onions into two pots for the two recipes.
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<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-10.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-11.jpg"></div>
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Both recipes then call for a blend of spices, which are then cooked down in the fat for about 15 minutes. The _shiro_ has a healthy amount of spicy _berbere_, though this can be omitted to make something known as "white _shiro_," a more mild dish.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-12.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-13.jpg"></div>
</div>
During this time, we added a few splashes of water to each to keep them from catching and burning. While these were cooking, we prepared the _shiro_ by mixing it with water to form a thick paste.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-14.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-15.jpg"></div>
</div>
For the _shiro_, we then whisked the prepared paste into the onion-mixture until it was well incorporated, then added boiling water until it was in a thick-soup consistency.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-16.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-17.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-18.jpg"></div>
</div>
The _shiro_ starts off watery, then reduces for the better part of an hour until it returns to a thick-sauce consistency. In that time, it picks up the flavor of the onions and spices and cooks out the raw chickpea flour.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-19.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-20.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-21.jpg"></div>
</div>
For the _dinnich_, we added about 10 cubed white potatoes and topped it off with enough water to cover. This too reduces down over the next hour until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-22.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-23.jpg"></div>
</div>
At this point, the name of the game is evaporation as the _shiro_ and the _dinnich_ reduce down to a less watery consistency. As the shiro cooks, it thickens considerably. Lena warns that it should be done over a bare simmer and to take care when stirring (I used a whisk) as the thick, bubbly _shiro_ can burn you if it splatters.
Lena finishes the _shiro_ by optionally stirring through a halved green chili for heat, which we did.
<img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-24.jpg">
We ate the _shiro_ and _dinnich_ with _injera_ flatbread and over rice spiced with turmeric. The _shiro_ was thick and very satisfying to eat with rice, in my opinion. It is smooth and has almost a nutty flavor and is plenty spicy. The _dinnich_ is obviously quite similar in flavor to the _doro_, and was quite pleasant. Both of these were extremely filling.
The _shiro_ was quite good, though I'd like to try the _nech shiro_ without the _berbere_ spice. I like spicy food, but especially since we ate it along with the _dinnich_, I think it would have been a nice balance.
All in all, this was a nice book-end for our exploration of Ethiopian cuisine.
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row">
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-25.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-26.jpg"></div>
<div><img src="https://static.garrettmills.dev/assets/blog-images/food/et-shiro/shiro-27.jpg"></div>
</div>
All images in this post were taken by me or my sister, Piper. I borrowed "Cooking With Imaye: Ethiopian Cuisine Straight From Mom's Kitchen" from the fantastic Indianapolis Public Library.

@ -21,6 +21,6 @@ block append food-content
h3 Upcoming Countries
ul
li July 2024 - <a href="/food/c/FR">France</a>
li August 2024 - Ethiopia
li August 2024 - <a href="/food/c/ET">Ethiopia</a>
li September 2024 - Colombia
li October 2024 - Pakistan

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