Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Ethiopian Beets and Potatoes
(Key Sir Alicha)
A wonderfully fragrant and lightly spiced Ethiopian dish to serve atop your injera bread. Lovely as a side dish too for a flavorful lunch, supper or snack.
Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 60-70 minutes Serves 3-5
Ingredients
1 large red or yellow onion, medium dice
Simmering water
6-8 small new potatoes, unpeeled, cut in wedges, roasted
3 small red beets, peeled, large dice
3 small gold beets, peeled, large dice
1 jalapeño or 1 fresh Thai green chiles, chopped
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed, freshly ground *
2 teaspoons fenugreek seed, freshly ground *
A few grinds of black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Aka (red) miso to taste **
Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves, torn or chopped.
* For greatest flavor, freshness, and potency, grind your mustard seed and fenugreek seeds yourself in a small, inexpensive coffee or spice grinder. Make in small quantities, as the volatile oils in these spices degrade over time and the ground spices lose their potency and taste.
* Miso is a good salt alternative found to lower heart rate and not elevate blood pressure.
Directions
Preheat an oven to 400°F/204°C. On a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper roast the potatoes for 25-35 minutes or until they are nicely brown and crispy.
In a large skillet, preheated over medium heat, dry sauté onion for 5 minutes or until they soften and begin to stick to the pan. Deglaze with a splash of very hot water (I keep a small pot of water simmering on the stove) to dislodge any of the caramelized sugars attached to the pan.
Add the spices and stir for one minute. Add the beets and chiles, stirring. As the mixture becomes dry, add a ladleful of simmering water. Continue to cook over a medium flame, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes stir in the roasted potatoes. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the beets are tender and all the flavors have melded. Incorporate the lemon juice.
Dilute the miso in a half cup of water, stirring well to dissolve it fully. Turn off the flame. Stir in the miso. Taste and adjust all the seasonings to your tastes.
Garnish if you like with cilantro leaves. Serve together with other "wots" atop injera bread.
