A deeply spiced Eritrean beef stew cooked slowly with onion, tomato and berbere.
Zigni is a rich stew found in Eritrean cooking, traditionally eaten with injera. Its flavor depends on slowly cooked onion and a generous amount of berbere spice.
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- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Cook
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Serves
- 6
The recipe
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Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Method
-
Cook onion in a dry heavy pot over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, until softened and reduced.
-
Add clarified butter, garlic, ginger and berbere and cook gently for 3–4 minutes.
-
Add tomatoes and cook until thick and darkened.
-
Add beef and water or stock. Cover and simmer gently for 60–75 minutes until tender.
-
Uncover to reduce the sauce if needed, season and serve with injera.
Chef’s notes
Berbere blends vary greatly in heat. Add it gradually if your blend is particularly hot. Slow onion cooking builds the base flavor.
Substitutions
Neutral oil can replace clarified butter, although the flavor will be less rich. Lamb can replace beef.
Serve with
Injera and vegetable sides
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat slowly until the meat and sauce are thoroughly hot.
Allergens
Contains milk if clarified butter is used. Check berbere blends for declared allergens.
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