Yebeg Alicha

The story

Yebeg Alicha is a Ethiopian main with a clear sense of place. Alicha refers to milder Ethiopian stews that generally avoid the heavy use of berbere. Lamb versions offer a golden, aromatic contrast on a platter beside red chilli-rich dishes. 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

• 1000 g lamb shouldercut into 4 cm pieces
• 500 g red onionsfinely chopped
• 80 g niter kibbeh
• 18 g Garlicgrated
• 15 g gingergrated
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 piece green chilliessplit
• 900 ml water or lamb stock
• 2 tsp fine salt

Method

1. Cook onions in a heavy pot with

   Cook onions in a heavy pot with 100 ml water over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes until very soft and the water has mostly evaporated.

   Look for: very soft and the water has mostly evaporated Tip: Keep the cooking gentle and let the onion provide body rather than relying on a large volume of stock. Avoid: Over-browning the onion or spices muddies the alicha’s golden colour; too much liquid makes it bland.

2. Add niter kibbeh, garlic, ginger and turmeric

   Add niter kibbeh, garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook 3 minutes, keeping the colour bright rather than browning the spices.

3. Add lamb and stir for 5 minutes

   Add lamb and stir for 5 minutes until coated and the outside loses its raw colour. Add 650 ml stock and bring to a gentle simmer.

   Look for: coated and the outside loses its raw colour

4. Cover partially and cook 60–70 minutes until

   Cover partially and cook 60–70 minutes until the lamb is tender, adding more stock only if needed.

   Look for: the lamb is tender, adding more stock only if needed

5. Add split green chillies for the final

   Add split green chillies for the final 10 minutes so they perfume the stew without making the whole pot aggressively hot.

6. Season with salt and rest 10 minutes

   Season with salt and rest 10 minutes. The sauce should be golden, savoury and lighter than a red wat.

   Look for: Lamb is fork-tender and the golden sauce lightly coats each piece without visible raw onion.

Nutrition

per serving

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