My first little darling is Ethiopian born. I lived in Ethiopia for several months while he was a little dude and grew very fond of the food. I found this recipe on the Whole Foods Market website. While it is a very good meal, I would not say it actually tastes like Ethiopian food. However, it is a good stew and close enough to Ethiopian food that it would be a great way to introduce this vibrant culture into your home.

I used actual BERBERE in my recipe which is a very popular Ethiopian spice. It can be purchased at specialty stores or mimiked fairly easily.

What you need:
~Berbere OR mix together the following: paprika, salt, allspice, pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cayenne, and ginger.
Real berbere is spicy and a bit hot to the taste. It is delicious!
~2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (I do not use canned. I boil my own. This works fine too!)
~3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
~2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~1 medium red onion, chopped
~1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
~1 quart vegetable broth
~1 pound red potatoes, white potatoes, or sweet potatoes (your choice!)
~4 carrots

What to do:

1. If you are making your own berbere, go ahead and mix your spices together. Set aside.
2. Place your chickpeas onto a large baking sheet along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Roast them for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
3. While the chickpeas are roasting to a golden brown add olive oil to a pan on the stove. Add the garlic and onion, stirring, until the onion is very soft.
4. Add the berbere.
5. Add the tomato sauce. Mix it all together really well.
6. Take your chopped potato, carrots, and those yummy chickpeas and add them into the pot.
7. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender.

Serve with INJERA (made with teff flour, still can not made good injera despite multiple tries) or some nice flat bread.