In Bibi’s Kitchen: Eritrea

Each month I’m highlighting a different non-Ina cookbook – these can be old favorites, classics I need to try, or new books I’m excited about. I’ll make at least one recipe from each chapter of the book to get an overall flavor of each. For the month of April, the book is Hawa Hassan’s In Bibi’s Kitchen. I hope you’ll cook along with me! The book is available for purchase here.

Doro Wat (Stewed Chicken Legs with Berbere and Eggs)

I’ve always wanted to try Doro Wat, and I can tell you it doesn’t disappoint! This braised chicken recipe is a simple mix of red onions, garlic, ginger, and Berbere spice – which does most of the heavy lifting here. Berbere is a spice mix of cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, black peppercorns, cardamon, allspice, chiles de Arbol, onion flakes, sweet paprika, ginger, and nutmeg. Hawa provides a recipe in the book, but also says store-bought is fine. Once the chicken is cooked through, the hard-boiled eggs are warmed in the sauce before serving. I served this with the Kicha below.

Book: In Bibi’s Kitchen, page 53
Rating: 5/5 
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: Berbere
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —

Recipe on Foodnetwork.com

Kicha (Eritrean Flatbreads)

With just five ingredients (most of which you probably already have on hand) these flatbreads could not be easier to make! A mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, these cook up in under 6 minutes for the perfect carb to go with your meal.

Book: In Bibi’s Kitchen, page 40
Rating: 4/5 
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: whole wheat flour
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —

Recipe on SimplyRecipes.com

Zebhi Hamli (Stewed Spinach)

This was the first recipe I made when I got the book and has been part of my regular rotation for 2 years. It’s the perfect way for me to squeeze in a few more greens – it’s perfectly seasoned using a chicken bouillon cube and the tomato-y spinach has a perfect kick from the slices of jalapenos added right before serving. One of my all-time favorite sides!

Book: In Bibi’s Kitchen, page 44
Rating: 5/5 
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: tomato paste
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —

Recipe not online.

Shiro (Ground Chickpea Stew)

The simple stew – which Hawa notes may be the most popular dish in Eritrea – was a hearty, satisfying and healthy bowl. Red onions and garlic are pureed and cooked with berbere spice, before adding pureed tomatoes, chickpea flour, and water. Warmed through, this dish is also finished with thinly sliced jalapenos.

Book: In Bibi’s Kitchen, page 45
Rating: 5/5 
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: Berbere
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: chickpea flour

Recipe on NYTCooking.com