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Zigni
Eritrea's berbere beef stew, slow-cooked with red onions
Zigni is the signature stew of Asmara and the Eritrean highlands, served on a wide platter of injera at weddings, Sunday lunches and the end of fasts. Red onions are cooked slowly in a dry pot until they collapse, then berbere, garlic, ginger and tomato go in, followed by beef that simmers until tender in a deep red, peppery sauce finished with spiced butter (tesmi). The mistake is rushing the onions: they must cook down for a good 20 minutes to give the sauce its sweet base. Chef's tip: the onions start in a dry pan with no oil, the traditional way; stir them often and add a splash of water if they catch.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 4 red onions in a dry heavy pot over a medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until soft and starting to colour. Add a splash of water if they stick.
20 minStep 2: Stir in 4 tbsp vegetable oil and 3 tbsp berbere spice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty and darkens. Add 5 garlic cloves and ⅔ oz fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute.
6 minStep 3: Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until thick.
5 minStep 4: Add 2 ¼ lb beef chuck and 1 ½ tsp salt and stir well to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, then add 2 ½ cups water, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender; long-simmered beef is well above the safe 160°F.
75 minStep 5: Uncover, stir in 2 tbsp spiced clarified butter (tesmi) or ghee and ½ tsp ground cardamom and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the meat.
10 minStep 6: Serve on 6 injera. Zigni keeps 3 days in the fridge and tastes better the next day; reheat until bubbling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zigni take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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