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There are plenty of hearty cuisines around the world. In so many cultures food is a comfort and a way of gathering people together, to share, and eat and talk, and this is very true of Ethiopian food. Warm, delicious, and with a bit of spice, you really can’t go wrong.
If you’re in London and want to get your hands (literally) on these gorgeous and filling dishes, then this is where to find the best Ethiopian food in London.
A little on Ethiopian food
Ethiopian food and cuisine makes use of many vegetables, especially lentils, as well as spicy meat dishes like beef and lamb. Most commonly, vegetables are cooked down into colourful and flavourful stews called ‘wat’, and meats are slow cooked in sauce until tender.
The wat and meat are then served on a large sourdough flatbread called injera. This bread is spongy and perfect for absorbing all the flavours. The traditional dish is called Beyaynetu, and each wat is scooped onto the injera in small piles, the meat placed in the middle, and you are given extra rolls of injera to eat with.
Ethiopian food is usually eaten with your hands, the right hand specifically, and you would rip off a piece of injera to pick up bites of eat food, delivering it to your taste buds in a wonderful warm parcel!
At the end of a meal, dark roasted coffee is served with a teaspoon of sugar and a side of slightly salted popcorn making the perfect post-meal snack.
Image source:Zeynep Sümer / unsplash
Typical flavours
Ethiopian food is bright and bursting with flavour. Just gazing at your plate will make you salivate. Common spices include chilli pepper, cardamom, fenugreek, coriander, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cumin, ensuring that each bite really packs a punch.
Clarified butter (also known as ghee) plays a big role in Ethiopian cuisine, and alternate oils such as sesame and safflower are used during fasting periods so no animal products are consumed.
Is Ethiopian food vegetarian?
Yes! A great thing about Ethiopian food is that many dishes are vegetarian, and actually, a lot are vegan as well, making Ethiopian food friendly to most diets.
This is because of the dominant religious faiths in Ethiopia, like Oriental Orthodox whose tradition forbids the consumption of animal products, including dairy and eggs, during fasting periods. Therefore, many dishes were made in accommodation to this, and you can find plenty of hearty and nutritious plant based meals all over the country.
Where can you get the best Ethiopian food in London?
Are you out and about London craving East African flavours? Happens to us all, and more than you’d think. The absolute best place to have Ethiopian food in London is in Shepherd’s Bush in the west of London.
Shepherd’s Bush Market is home to many unique stalls which cater to and come from all sorts of cultural backgrounds. Whether you want an Egyptian smoothie or Yemeni coffee, the juiciest mangos akin to those from Thailand, glitzy gold and gem-laden jewellery, or traditional Indian clothes, you can find it at Shepherd’s Bush Market.
This is also where you can find some truly delicious Ethiopian food and grocers. Flamingo, a nearby restaurant, is the perfect choice for you to settle down in and enjoy some Beyaynetu and a dark coffee. And, if you loved the flavours and want to bring them back home, you can visit the local Ethiopian grocer at Messi Abyssinia to pick up ingredients to get cooking.
Classic Ethiopian dishes
Hungry? These are five classic Ethiopian dishes you must try when you get the chance.
1. Beyaynetu
Described above, you just can’t go wrong with Beyaynetu. The stews and meats are laid out right in front of you in a beautiful array, and all you have to do is rip some injera and dig in. If you’re travelling with a large group of friends, this is the perfect dish to share and gossip over.
2. Kitfo
Many Ethiopian dishes make use of raw meat, and Kitfo is one. Minced raw beef is blended with spices and left to marinate, and then it is cooked very quickly on a hot skillet pan – so, it’s not totally raw, just blue. It is then served with ayib which is a soft Ethiopian cheese, as well as collard greens and, of course, injera.
3. Samosas
Samosas are a dish hailing from the old Persian world, and many Asian and African nations have their own variation. A flaky pastry dough is filled with spiced vegetables like lentils or potatoes and folded into neat triangles. Baked until crisp, they’re served on their own.
4. Tere siga
Another raw meat dish (but this time actually raw), tere siga is pretty simple. Long strips of beef, usually, are served with a fiery spice blend to set your lips ablaze, as well as a spicy mustard dip. This is definitely not a dish for the faint of heart, for many reasons, but if you think you can handle the heat, dig in!
5. Kik alicha
Kik alicha is a traditional Ethiopian split pea soup or stew. It can either be served curry style with a bed of rice, in which case the stew is a little thicker, or on its own. Spiced with turmeric and ginger, the peas are simmered and cooked until soft, and then jalapeño peppers are halved and used as a topping. It’s warming in many ways.
