Recipe: Chick Pea Fritters (Yeshimbra Assa)

the appetizer:

Ethiopian cooking is marked by hot spices, thick stews and injera, a large, flat sourdough bread. Diners in Ethiopia use the injera as an eating utensil to scoop up food.

Ethiopia

Chick Pea Fritters (Yeshimbra Assa)

3 cups chick pea flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
3/4—1 cup water
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the 3/4 cup water, onion, and garlic. If dough is too crumbly, add a little more water. Dough should form a compact ball.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough until it is 1/4" thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes (fish shape is traditional).

Pour oil into a skillet 2-3" deep. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Fry fritters for 3-4 minutes, turning them frequently until they puff slightly and are golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a towel to drain. Then prepare sauce:

2 onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Red Pepper Paste (aka Spice Paste, Berbere)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Cook the onions in a dry skillet over the lowest heat for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and dry. Do not let burn or brown.

Pour in the oil, and when it's hot, stir in the berbere and garlic. Add the water, stir, and cook briskly over moderate heat until the sauce thickens. Season with salt.

Place the fritters in the skillet and coat them with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet partially, and simmer for 30 minutes.