Kik Alicha

Make Ahead and Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. It thickens as it cools, so add hot water when reheating.

Kik Alicha: The Method

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1. Put the split peas and water in a pan, bring to the boil, skim, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often, until soft and thick.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft but not brown.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

4. Stir the onion mix and salt into the peas and simmer for 5 minutes. Add hot water if too thick.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

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Tips for Success

• Rinse the peas until the water runs clear.
• Stir often at the end so the stew does not catch.
• Cook the onion gently without browning it.
• Loosen the stew with hot water as needed.

Behind the Recipe

The first sign it is ready is the colour: a deep, even gold, with a thick, creamy texture that holds a spoon. Kik alicha is a mild Ethiopian stew of yellow split peas, made without the berbere spice that colours many other Ethiopian dishes red.

Rinse the peas until the water runs clear, then cook them in water until they begin to fall apart. They take about 30 minutes. Skim off any foam. Stir often towards the end. Split peas settle and scorch easily, and a burnt base spoils the whole stew.

The seasoning is cooked separately in oil: onion softened slowly, then garlic, ginger and turmeric. Stir it into the peas just before serving. This keeps the aromas fresh and the flavour bright.

The stew should be thick but pourable. Add hot water if it stiffens. Serve on injera, or with rice or flatbread. A spoonful of the sizzling onion mixture on top of each bowl looks and tastes good.

Good Alongside

Injera · Steamed rice · Cabbage stew · Green salad

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Injera.

Ingredient Swaps

• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Kik Alicha Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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