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Kik alicha
Mild yellow split pea stew
Mild yellow split pea stew with turmeric, garlic and ginger
Kik alicha is the gentle golden stew on Ethiopian platters: 'alicha' means a mild dish made without berbere, so it is coloured with turmeric instead and flavoured with garlic, ginger and onion. Cooks in the Amhara highlands and in Addis make it all through the fasting seasons, and it sits next to fiery shiro and misir wat to cool things down. Yellow split peas are simmered until they collapse into a thick, smooth purée. Chef's tip: stir it regularly towards the end; split peas thicken suddenly and catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz yellow split peasrinsed until the water runs clear
- 1 litre water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- ½ oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 green chilli (optional)halved
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Simmer 9 oz yellow split peas in 1 litre water in a covered pan over a medium-low heat for 25 minutes, skimming off the foam, until soft and mashable.
25 minStep 2: Meanwhile cook 2 onions in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes until it softens, then add 4 tbsp vegetable oil and cook for 5 minutes more until golden.
10 minStep 3: Add 4 garlic cloves, ½ oz fresh ginger and 1 tsp ground turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
1 minStep 4: Tip the onion mixture into the peas with 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring often and mashing some of the peas, until it is thick and creamy like porridge. Don't salt the peas at the start, which is a common mistake; salt slows down their softening.
9 minStep 5: Add 1 green chilli for the last 2 minutes. Serve warm with injera.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 15 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kik alicha take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 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.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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