Shiro is a spreadable chickpea cream that is very typical of Ethiopian cuisine. There are many variations of the recipe for this stew with different spices and textures. For this recipe that I share I have used the spices that we all have on hand and I have added less water so that the texture is like that of a hummus. You can add more or less water according to your tastes. Ethiopian shiro can be eaten on its own or with traditional Ethiopian injera bread.
Ingredients to make Ethiopian Shiro:
• ½ cup chickpea flour
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup of crushed tomato
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 pinch of chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 pinch of cloves
• 1 pinch of pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 pinch of coriander
• 1½ cups of water (360 milliliters)
How to make Ethiopian Shiro:
Heat a pot with a splash of oil and fry the chopped onion and garlic, fresh ginger and all the spices for several minutes to release the aroma. Add the rest of the oil and let it heat up and infuse for several minutes. Add the crushed tomato and mix with a hand mixer to incorporate the ingredients well.
Lower the heat and little by little add the chickpea flour stirring with the rods, cook for a couple of minutes and add the water. The amount indicated in this recipe for Ethiopian chickpea cream is indicative, add it little by little until you obtain a texture that you like the most. You can leave it almost liquid or thicker like a kind of pate or hummus.
Once the ingredients are integrated, pass the mixture through the blender for a couple of minutes until the Ethiopian shiro is creamy. Serve this spiced chickpea puree and eat it alone or spread on a piece of injera bread for example.
