AI-generated image
Shimbra asa (chickpea 'fish' in berbere sauce)
Shimbra asa: fried chickpea-dough diamonds simmered in a deep red berbere wat
During the 55 days of Lent, when fish and meat are off the table in Orthodox homes of Gondar and Gojjam, cooks make 'chickpea fish': a firm dough of chickpea flour cut into diamonds, fried until golden, then dropped into a dark, oily berbere sauce. The pieces soak up the wat but keep a pleasant bite, a bit like a dense dumpling, and the sauce itself is rich with slow-cooked onion, garlic and ginger. It is a dish for fasting-day guests and Lenten Sundays, served on injera with gomen and a spoon of senafich. Everything is plant-based and fried in oil, so it suits the fast. A common mistake is a dough that is too soft, which breaks up in the sauce; it should feel like firm play dough before you roll it. Chef's tip: add the fried pieces to the sauce only in the last few minutes and shake the pan rather than stirring, so the diamonds stay whole.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chickpea pieces
- 9 oz chickpea flour
- 1 garlic clovefinely grated
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup warm waterapproximately
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil for frying
For the berbere sauce
- 2 red onionsvery finely chopped
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 ½ tbsp berbere
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups hot water
- ¾ tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz chickpea flour, 1 garlic clove and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and most of ½ cup warm water and knead for 3 minutes into a firm, smooth dough that holds a fingerprint without sticking. Add the last water a spoonful at a time only if it cracks.
5 minStep 2: Press or roll the dough to 1 cm thick on a lightly oiled board and cut into 3 cm diamonds.
Step 3: Heat 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil for frying in a small deep pan over a medium heat to about 350°F, when a scrap of dough sizzles at once. Fry the diamonds in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp outside. Drain on kitchen paper.
12 minStep 4: For the sauce, cook 2 red onions in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and reduced. Add a splash of water if they catch.
8 minStep 5: Add 5 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp fresh ginger and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
3 minStep 6: Stir in 2 ½ tbsp berbere and 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens and the oil turns brick red. Do not let the berbere scorch, or it turns bitter.
5 minStep 7: Pour in 2 cups hot water, add ¾ tsp salt and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the oil shines on top.
15 minStep 8: Add the fried pieces, shake the pan to coat them and simmer for 5 minutes until they have soaked up some sauce but still hold their shape. Serve hot with injera.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shimbra asa (chickpea 'fish' in berbere sauce) take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Indian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.