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Ethiopian Minchet Abesh: Adapting Spiced Mutton Keema & Injera at Home
Ethiopian Cuisine: Great Tastes from Africa
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Minchet Abesh & Injera: Memories of Columbus & Ethiopian Flavour at Home
There are some unmissable culinary experiences in our wandering days in India as well as abroad. One of them is Ethiopian cuisine, which left a lingering mark on my taste buds, at least for a gourmet like me.
During our stay in Columbus, the capital of Ohio, we frequented Ducem, an Ethiopian eatery. A piquant standalone single-story building with a ranch house look. Whenever we visited Ducem, our son Arjun used to drive across the river Olentangy (a strange name which quite often slips out of my mind). I only remember that the river ran close to the medical centre of Ohio State University.
The atmosphere inside used to be gay, warm and relaxed; a setting creating that indefinable something called ambience. Simple, no-fuss tables and diners, mainly settlers from distant Africa, used to throng the place. Run by an Ethiopian family, the restaurant served authentic, superb food. The dish I still long for, many years later, is Minchet Abesh and Injera.
Taking a cue from the original recipe, my wife prepared the Indian version by replacing minced ground beef stew with mutton or chicken keema. For the bread roll, injera, she has discovered an alternative to the traditional gluten-free teff flour used to make it.
Recipe for Minchet Abesh (Ethiopian spicy keema)
Ingredients
- Mutton Keema: 500g (finely minced
- Onions: 3 large red onions, finely chopped
- Garlic: 1½ tbsp garlic paste; Ginger: 1 tbsp ginger paste
- Spice: Kashmiri red chilli powder-2tbsp;
paprika-1tsp; coriander powder-1 tsp; cumin powder ½ tsp 2 tbsp Kashmiri red
chilli powder) methi ( fenugreek) seeds
ground -¼ tsp; ground cinnamon & ground cloves blend-¼ tsp; ground black
cardamom badi elaichi ground-½ tsp
Cooking oil-2tbsp + ghee
½ cup smooth tomato puree + 1½ cups mutton stock Cook finely chopped onions over medium heat without oil for 8–10 minutes until soft and the moisture evaporates. Add cooking oil, ginger paste, and garlic paste; fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the spice mixture and tomato puree. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until the oil separates slightly. Add the minced mutton, stirring continuously to break up clumps until evenly browned and coated in spices. Pour in 1½ cups warm mutton stock/water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 35–40 minutes until mutton is tender and the rich gravy thickens. Stir in ghee and ground black cardamom. Adjust salt. Nestle hard-boiled egg halves into the gravy before serving.
Recipe for Injera: Rollable Ethiopian Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
1 cup All-Purpose Flour (Maida)
1 tsp active dry yeast
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp plain yoghurt or ½ tsp lemon juice (for the fermented sour note)
Method:
Whisk wheat flour, maida, yeast, salt, yoghurt/lemon juice, and warm water into a smooth, thin batter. Cover and leave in a warm spot for 45 minutes until light and bubbly. Stir in baking powder. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Pour ¼ cup batter in a spiral from the outer edge inward. When small air pockets ("eyes") form across the top (about 1 minute), cover with a tight lid for 1–2 minutes to steam through. Do not flip. Transfer to a cloth, let cool slightly, and roll tightly like a scroll.
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| Ethiopian Minchet Abesh served at Ducem in Columbus |
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| Another meat variety with Injera at Ducam |
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| Meat with Injera roll at Ducem |
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