Zigni (Eritrean Spicy Stew)

Image of overhead view of zigni on injera bread.

Zigni (Eritrean Spicy Stew)

Zigni, known as kai wat in Ethiopia, is a rich and spicy stew of slow-caramelised onions and berbere, made with beef, lamb, goat or chicken and served with injera.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Eritrean, Ethiopian

Keyword Berbere stew, goat stew, spicy lamb stew, Zigni

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 40

Servings servings

Calories 359kcal

Author Nicole Shroff

Ingredients

Berbere spice mix

¾ teaspoon korarima seeds or ½ teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
3 cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon oregano dry
½ teaspoon thyme dry
½ teaspoon rosemary dry
2 teaspoon ground red chilli pepper
1 tablespoon ground hot paprika
2 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch ground nutmeg

Zigni

1 kg goat meat, lamb, stewing beef, chicken or capon 2 lbs off the bone red meat, cut into small cubes or 3 full birds skin removed and cut into 8 pieces.
450 g red onions 3 cups, diced small
1½ tablespoon garlic chopped small
1½ tablespoon ginger peeled and chopped small
6 tablespoon niter kibbeh ⅓ cup (or T'esmi ) spiced clarified butter see notes below
400 g canned tomatoes 14 oz, blended till smooth
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
4 hard boiled eggs (optional), left whole or sliced

Instructions

Berbere Spice mix

In a dry skillet on a low flame, lightly toast ¾ tsp korarima seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp 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 Tbsp oregano, ½ tsp thyme and ½ tsp rosemary.
Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the powdered spices: 2 tsp ground red chilli pepper, 1 Tbsp ground hot paprika, 2 tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch ground nutmeg, cover and set aside.

Zigni

In a large saucepan on medium-low heat, melt half the 6 Tbsp niter kibbeh (3 tablespoons, or the same amount of ghee), add 450 g 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 Tbsp garlic and 1½ Tbsp ginger and cook for 10 minutes.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons of niter kibbeh (or ghee) then stir in 5½ tablespoons (⅓ cup) of berbere spice mix plus 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour in 400 g canned tomatoes and 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Add 1 kg 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.

Berbere spice mix - 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.

If using store bought berbere spice mix, use 5½ tablespoons (⅓ cup)

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.

Nutrition