1
Cook the onion
Heat oil in a pot. Cook onion gently until soft and sweet, then add garlic and berbere.
Cook base
08:00
Eritrea | Stew
Eritrean Shiro
Silky Eritrean chickpea-flour shiro simmered with onion, garlic, berbere, tomato, and oil until spoonable over injera.
Country
Eritrea
Region
East Africa
Time
35 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Good shiro is smooth, not heavy. Whisk the powder in slowly, keep the heat gentle, and stop when it pours like thick cream over injera.
What the dish tastes like
Silky Eritrean chickpea-flour shiro simmered with onion, garlic, berbere, tomato, and oil until spoonable over injera.
When to cook it
Best for everyday meals, with a easy cooking level and about 35 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Injera, salad, sauteed greens, or a little extra berbere oil
Follow the collection
Vegetarian Africa is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Vegetarian Africa
Regional lane
Eritrea national table. A verified Eritrea dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
Chef watch-outs
- Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
- Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
- Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
How you know it is ready
- The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
- The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
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Chef board
Build the table around Eritrean Shiro
Injera, salad, sauteed greens, or a little extra berbere oil
Best route from here
Eritrea national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
5 steps
35 min total
easy
2
Make the sauce
Stir in tomato paste and hot water. Bring to a simmer and season lightly with salt.
Simmer sauce
05:00
3
Whisk in shiro
Sprinkle in shiro powder slowly while whisking so it does not clump.
If it thickens too fast, add hot water a splash at a time.
4
Simmer smooth
Cook on low heat, stirring often, until glossy and creamy.
Simmer shiro
15:00
5
Serve
Finish with niter kibbeh only if you are not keeping it fasting-style. Spoon over injera and serve hot.
Fasting versions use oil. Non-fasting versions may finish with tesmi or niter kibbeh.