MINCHET ABISH WOT
MINCED BEEF STEW

©eat_ethio_recipes_minchet_abish_wot_thumbnail.jpg
 

Serves 4 (as a main)
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 120 mins (approx)


INGREDIENTS

300g of good quality minced beef
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 medium sized finely chopped red onions
1 teaspoon of freshly minced garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly minced ginger
1⁄2 cup (approx 100ml) of canola oil
2 eggs (soft boiled)
3 tablespoons of Berbere spice
Sea salt 

OPTIONAL

1⁄2 teaspoon of Tikur Azmud (black cumin)
1⁄2 teaspoon of Nech Azmud (ajowan)
1 teaspoon of Kibe (clarified herbed butter)

 

I have a soft spot for this dish, it was one of the first dishes that I used to serve back when Eat Ethio was in it’s beginnings, appearing at markets in Shanghai. It’s hearty and moreish and always a crowd pleaser. It’s a little time consuming to cook though and less accessible than our previous recipes, but give it a go, it’s well worth it. Also feel free to adapt the way you serve it.

Info: Berbere spice is a staple Ethiopian blend used in almost 75% of all dishes. It’s made up of around 20 different ingredients, many of which are native to Ethiopia. I’m lucky enough to be able to use my mum’s homemade blend, which she makes for me in Awassa, Ethiopia.

For this recipe, I suggest reaching out to Ethiopian mini markets where you live, if you are in the U.S or Europe this shouldn’t be a problem in major cities, but in Asia unfortunately it’s still very unlikely. Although there are many online adapted recipes to be found they simply won’t taste anything like Berbere no matter what people say. Similarly you might find Berbere on the shelves of some major western supermarkets but unfortunately again in our experience they just don’t taste like they should.

We hope to be able to make our own spices accessible soon. Fingers crossed.

 

  1. Boil a kettle (you will need a splash of hot water during the cooking process), and in a saucepan, boil the tomatoes for around 10 minutes.

  2. Peel and finely chop the red onions.

  3. In another saucepan cook the onions on a medium heat for around 20 minutes, occasionally adding a splash of hot water to prevent them from burning. Meanwhile you can mince the ginger and garlic.

  4. Once the onions have reduced down and soften add the oil and keep cooking for another 10 minutes.

  5. Take out the boiled tomatoes removing the skin before chopping them finely.

  6. Add the garlic and ginger.

  7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.

  8. Add the Berbere spice and after a good few minutes the Tikur Azmud followed by Nech Azmud and cook for about 20 minutes stirring often.

  9. Add the minced beef and simmer for around 1 hour (adding a splash of hot water occasionally) or for longer if you have time, the more it’s cooked the better it tastes.

  10. Once the ‘Wot’ has cooked add the Kibe and cook for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile boil the eggs for 5-7 minutes for a soft-boiled effect.

Serve with any soft cheese and slice the egg in half, place on the side.

Tip: Traditionally served on Ethiopian teff injera but it’s also delicious with rice.