Timatim Salata

The story

Timatim Salata is a Ethiopian starter with a clear sense of place. Timatim salata is a straightforward Ethiopian tomato salad with variations that may include torn injera. It works as a fresh component on a shared platter. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 550 g ripe tomatoesdiced
• 120 g red onionfinely diced
• 2 piece green chilliesfinely sliced
• 40 ml lemon juice
• 25 ml olive oil
• 20 g fresh corianderchopped
• 150 g injeraoptional, tornoptional
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Put the diced onion in the lemon

   Put the diced onion in the lemon juice with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. This takes away some raw harshness while keeping the onion crisp.

   Tip: Use room-temperature ripe tomatoes and make the lemon dominant over the oil. Avoid: Watery under-ripe tomatoes, excessive oil and long resting after adding injera can make the salad soggy.

2. Cut tomatoes into small even pieces and

   Cut tomatoes into small even pieces and transfer them with all their juice to a bowl. Add chilli and coriander.

3. Pour over the onion and lemon mixture,

   Pour over the onion and lemon mixture, add olive oil and black pepper and fold gently.

4. Taste for salt and acidity

   Taste for salt and acidity. The salad should be brighter and sharper than a plain tomato salad because it is often eaten with mild injera and rich stews.

5. If using injera, tear it into bite-sized

   If using injera, tear it into bite-sized pieces and fold it through only immediately before serving so some pieces absorb dressing while others retain structure.

6. Serve at room temperature

   Serve at room temperature; chilling dulls ripe tomato flavour and firms the texture.

   Look for: Tomato tastes ripe and bright, onion remains crisp and any injera is dressed but not dissolved.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.