ETHIOPIAN COOKBOOK

About the Book

Ethiopian dishes are usually prepared in stew forms and almost always served with “injera”. The main ingredients are meant, grains, and legumes. Red meat and chicken are prepared with butter, while fish, legumes, and grain dishes are prepared with oil. The amount of ingredients can be adjusted to ones taste, especially the “berbere” for spicy dishes. Mom has written the dishes she loved to prepare and serve. As she expressed it in her book, it is her sincere hope that you will enjoy cooking and serving these unique dishes as much as she does. Mom’s cookbook includes more dishes, traditional health drinks, and ingredients preparations. I translated most of the dishes and left the rest for future translation.

About the Author

My Mom, at the age of 89, documented her succulent dishes in her book “Yemouya Kouncho”. She wrote her book for the sole purpose of passing the art of preparing traditional Ethiopian cuisine to the next generation. Her parents’ home was always filled with extended family, neighbors, and other visitors who delighted in the savoy dishes. Running the household was traditionally the women’s job and learning how to prepare food started at an early age. As a child, Mom observed her older sisters learn the art of cooking. She could hardly wait until she was old enough to start training. Instructions were done in stages. It started with simple tasks such as washing, dicing, and cutting meat and vegetables. Next, little by little under the watchful eyes of the experts, she was allowed to do more of the cooking. When she was able to prepare meals on her own, it was graduation time. As an ardent student, Mom made it a point to write down procedures, the various ingredients and amount used in recipes. After she got married, Mom experimented with different amounts of the ingredients and different techniques. She never gave up until she felt the flavors were excellent.