1kilosgoat meat, lamb, stewing beef, chicken or capon2 lbs off the bone red meat, cut into small cubes or 3 full birds skin removed and cut into 8 pieces.
450gramsred onions3 cups, diced small
1½tablespoonsgarlicchopped small
1½tablespoonsgingerpeeled and chopped small
6tablespoonsniter kibbeh⅓ cup (or T'esmi ) spiced clarified butter see notes below
In a dry skillet on a low flame, lightly toast 4 black cardamoms, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds, 3 cloves and 10 black peppercorns for 1-2 minutes till aromatic then remove from the heat.
Grind the warmed spices together with 1 tablespoon oregano, ½ teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon rosemary.
Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the powdered spices: 2 teaspoons red chilli powder, 1 tablespoon hot paprika powder, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder and a pinch nutmeg, cover and set aside.
Zigni
In a large saucepan on medium-low heat, melt half the 6 tablespoons niter kibbeh (3 tablespoons, or the same amount of ghee), add 450 grams red onions and cover with a lid. Cook till caramelised for 1-2 hours, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking.
Stir in 1½ tablespoons garlic and 1½ tablespoons ginger and cook for 10 minutes.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons of niter kibbeh (or ghee) then stir in the berbere spices, 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour in 400 grams canned tomatoes and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Add 1 kilos goat meat, lamb, stewing beef, chicken or capon and stir well, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes (poultry), 60-75 (goat meat), 40 minutes (beef) or 60 minutes (lamb)* till tender.
Garnish with 4 hard boiled eggs in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve the zigni warm with injera bread.
Notes
Use niter kibbeh, spiced ghee (see below) or butter.Onions - Either finely dice or blend the onions and cook on a very low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring and scraping the bottom to prevent burning. The closer to 2 hours, the more caramelised and jam-like the onions will be, giving a rich sweet flavour. If you don't have the time, cooking the onions for one hour will also give a very delicious sauce.Niter kibbeh or T'esmi is available in speciality food stores or follow my easy recipe for making spiced clarified butter. It will keep in an airtight container in a cool and dry place for up to 6 months.Spice mixture - Certain ingredients such as onion, ginger and garlic, have been omitted from this spice mixture as they are already present in our zigni base sauce. If you wish to use this spice mix to add extra flavour to other meat or vegetable dishes just add a little water, some freshly chopped garlic, ginger and red onion before using.The spice mixture is cooked at length before adding the meat to fully release the flavours.Zigni is a spicy stew but feel free to adjust the amount of chilli in the berbere spice mix to your taste.The meat - *Goat meat takes longer to cook than beef or lamb, poultry will require less time to cook. Use a mixture of meat on the bone and boneless for best results.Make ahead - Prepare a day in advance if possible as this zigni tastes even better the next day.Storing - Store the zigni in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm through on a medium low heat before serving.