Gomen Alicha Recipes

TIKIL GOMEN (ETHIOPIAN CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, garlic, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir until flavors are combined, about 7 minutes. Add cabbage and mix well.
• Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the cabbage is tender but not completely soft, about 20 minutes. Add water if vegetables look dry.

TIKIL GOMEN ALICHA

Steps:

• In a stock pot or a very large skillet, sauté carrots and onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Continue to simmer for 2 more minutes or until the vegetables are just softened.
• Stir in cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds. Then, mix in the cabbage.
• Continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring regularly. NOTE: If the cabbage starts to stick, add a little water and reduce heat.
• Add the potatoes and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until potatoes are soft, which may take another 30 minutes or so. Stir periodically to prevent sticking.
• Once the potatoes are soft, this dish is ready to eat! Enjoy!

GOMEN (ETHIOPIAN COLLARD GREENS)

Steps:

• Heat niter kibbeh in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the collard greens and another tablespoon of niter kibbeh and cook until the collards turn bright green and are wilted but still a slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add more spices and/or niter kibbeh to taste.

KEY SIR ALICHA (ETHIOPIAN BEETS AND POTATOES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir onion until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beets and stir to combine. Pour water over beet mixture and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil.
• Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until beets are easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft but not falling apart, about 15 minutes.

ALICHA MISIR

Steps:

• For the lentils: Start with warming the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups of the hot water and bring it to a boil. Add the lentils and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and adding the remaining hot water as needed, until the lentils are thickened and can be broken with a spoon, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeño, cover and simmer for 2 minutes and let it settle. Add more salt, to taste.
• For the tomato salad: Stir to combine the olive oil, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice and onion in a medium bowl. Season with salt and add additional olive oil if needed.
• Serve the alicha misir over a flat piece of injera with the tomato salad and rolled, sliced injera on the side. It also can be served spooned over rice.

GOMEN ALICHA

Steps:

• Brown the onions slowly in a pot with the vegetable oil. Add the carrots, potatoes and tomato sauce; mix thoroughly. Mix in the rosemary, fenugreek and turmeric and cook over low heat until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.
• In a separate pot, boil the cabbage until crisp-tender (not so long that it gets limp!). Drain.
• Add the cabbage to the sauce and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally but not too vigorously--you don't want the vegetables to break up.