Ye’Shimbra Asa | Ethiopian Chickpea Flour Fritters in Berbere Sauce

Mix the chickpea flour with the salt and knead, adding the water a little at a time. The dough should be slightly firmer than an earlobe: it should roll in your palm without cracking, but should not stick to your fingers. Cover and set aside to rest; resting time is not included in the cooking time.

Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and shape them in your palm into little fish, pointed at one end and flat at the other, all half a centimeter thick. Make 3 notches in the flat end with the back of a knife to suggest a tail. Thicker fritters may remain undercooked inside after frying.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet. The temperature is right when a piece of dough sinks briefly, then rises to the surface within 3 seconds. Fry the fritters in batches without crowding the pan, until golden on both sides, then transfer them to a strainer.

Heat the sauce oil in a wide pot and cook the finely chopped onion over medium heat. Cook for 18 minutes, until the onion softens and its edges turn golden; the berbere needs this sweet base or the sauce will taste only hot. Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger during the last 2 minutes.

Lower the heat, add the berbere and tomato paste, and stir constantly as they cook in the oil for 3 minutes. When the spices no longer smell raw and the oil separates around the edges with a red color, add the water and salt and bring to a boil.

Arrange the fried fritters in a single layer in the sauce and cook over low heat for 20 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Shake the pot occasionally to turn them instead of stirring. The dish is ready when the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon and reaches halfway up the fritters.