Day 59: Ethiopia and Timatim Firfir with Sambusa

Happy Easter to you all!

This year, my Easter is going to be different form the other years. No traditions, no great Easter dinners as we are going to Ethiopia!

At first, I was really inclined to making injera once again, maybe with some different side dishes..but then I said "No! You should do something else for Ethiopia!"
And so here I am having found a way to recycle the little injera that was left over from Eritrea.

First one on the menu was Timatim Firfir, which is a tomato salad.
The recipe is easy and the result is lovely. I have slightly changed the recipe linked here.

You'll need:

• 1 tsp of berberé sauce
• 1/3 cuo of wine
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1 clove of garlic 
• left over injera torn into small pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1 chili 

If you would like to add more tomatoes, onions or bell peppers, feel free to do so.

You start by mixing the berberé sauce with the wine. Then you'll add the lemon juice and the olive oil. You'll stir in the tomato, pepper, onion and crushed or chopped clove of garlic.
You'll add the injera and mix well. The liquid has to be absorbed almost entirely. Refrigerate it before serving it, because it is to be served cold. (I preferred it to be not that cold).

For the sambusa I have followed this recipe and I admit that I might not be that good at folding the wraps nicely cone shaped :D

You'll need:

• a package of spring roll wrappers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g minced meat (I used beef)
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp water
• oil to fry

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil, add onions, leek, garlic and stir fry. Add the minced meat and the spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook until done.

Mix flour and water in a separate bowl. Be careful not to have any lumps.

Fold the wrappers into a cone shape, by using one at the time. The type I used had to be soaked briefly in water, otherwise you would not have been able to fold them.

Fill the cone with the mixture and close the top, using the water-flour mixture as glue to close. Repeat until you have used up all the filling/ wraps.

Heat up the oil to fry in a frying pan. I have used a wok for this, because it splashes less.

When the oil is hot you can start frying. To see if the oil is ready, put a wooden stick (I use a cooking chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon) into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood, it is ready.

Fry the cones until golden. Be careful to fry only 2-3 at the time, in order to prevent them from sticking. Drain the sambusa on some kitchen paper.

I have used some berberé sauce as dip. It was delicious!

Love, 

Raffi