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Firfir
Torn injera tossed in a spicy berbere tomato sauce, Ethiopia's favourite breakfast
Firfir (or fitfit) is what Ethiopian households do with yesterday's injera: torn into pieces and tossed in a hot, oniony berbere sauce until it soaks up all the flavour. It is breakfast in Addis Ababa cafés and homes alike, eaten with a spoon or, more often, scooped up with fresh injera. This version uses oil, making it suitable for fasting days; on other days a spoon of niter kibbeh adds richness. Chef's tip: use day-old injera; fresh injera is too soft and turns to mush in the sauce.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cook 1 red onion in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 4 minutes until soft. Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes more.
6 minStep 2: Stir in 1 tbsp berbere and 2 tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until the tomato collapses and the sauce is thick and red.
4 minStep 3: Add ¾ cup water and ½ tsp salt and bring to a simmer.
1 minStep 4: Add 3 day-old injera and toss for 2–3 minutes until every piece is coated and has soaked up most of the sauce but still has some shape. Taking it too far is a common mistake: it should be moist, not a soggy paste.
3 minStep 5: Top with 1 green chilli and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does firfir take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 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 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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