I simply love the experience of cooking and eating dishes from around the world. And if you do, too, you’ll love this sophisticated and delicious dish from Ethiopia—awaze tibs recipe.
A popular dish made very commonly in most Ethiopian homes, awaze tibs is made with cubed stir-fried beef or lamb and vegetables and flavoured with the spicy and delicious awaze sauce, a blend of smoked paprika, berbere spices and lemon juice.
Awaze tibs can be served in many different ways, ranging from very spicy to mildly hot, and it can have plenty of vegetables, a few veggies or no veggies at all. You can make the dish in various ways according to your preference.
This rich and bold dish is best eaten with injera, the popular spongy fermented sourdough bread from Ethiopia, which is perfect to mop up the awaze sauce. A good Sough Dough bread will be fine if you can’t get Injera.
The African spice mix “Berbere” is a key ingredient in this dish.
Awaze Tibs Recipe
Equipment
- Colander
Ingredients
For The Awaze Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Berbere
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ginger, ground
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For The Tibs
- 1.5 lbs Beef, cut into 1 cm cubes
- ½ Onion, chopped
- 1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Berbere
- 1/3 cup Niter kibbeh, Ethiopian clarified butter
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Method
To Make Awaze Sauce
- Take a small bowl and add all the spices. To this, add ¼ cup of water and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix all the ingredients till it forms a paste or you can blend it in a food processor. Keep the paste aside.
To Make Beef Tibs
- Place the beef pieces in a colander, wash them and allow them to drain. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat. When the oil is heated, add the beef pieces. Stir the beef for a few minutes on high heat, until it is browned. Take the beef out and set it aside.
- Add the niter kibbeh (clarified butter) to the skillet and melt it. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the jalapeno pepper slices.
- To this, add the awaze sauce and stir well. Simmer the sauce on low heat for around 5 minutes and then add the beef. Add some lemon juice and then allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Garnish with some cilantro and serve hot with injera, pita, naan bread or any other flatbread of your choice. Or, you can serve the awaze tibs with couscous or rice too.
- You can use any cut of beef as per your preference. You can cut it into 1-inch cubes or if you prefer, you can use bite-sized pieces or larger meaty chunks.
- If I want a variation or don’t have beef at hand and don’t have the time to run to the supermarket, I often use lamb to make the dish.
- If you have the time, then it is a good idea to marinate the beef for a few hours before making the dish. I find that marinating the beef makes it very juicy and tender when it is cooked.
- Seasoning the beef with kosher salt and black pepper before browning it will make it juicier and more tender.
- Use a heavy saucepan or skillet to brown the beef. Place all the pieces of beef in a single layer on the skillet so that they are not crowded and can brown properly. Let the bottom of each beef piece brown properly before flipping it onto the other side.
- You can buy berbere (an Ethiopian spice blend containing fenugreek, coriander, jalapeno chilli peppers, ginger, garlic and other Ethiopian spices) online or make your own easily.
- I usually make my own niter kibbeh to add to the awaze tibs, but if you don’t have niter kibbeh or can’t make your own, you can simply use plain unsalted butter instead.
- If the awaze sauce is very watery and you prefer it to be a little thicker, then adding more berbere to it will help to thicken it.
FAQ
What Meat Is Used To Make Awaze Tibs?
Usually, awaze tibs is made either with beef or lamb. But you can also make this dish with deer meat (venison).
Is Injera Healthy?
A spongy-textured sour fermented flatbread, injera is a staple in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Eritrea. Traditionally made from teff flour, injera is loaded with nutrients.
Teff contains complete proteins and minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium. Teff is highly fibre-rich and offers several benefits such as regulating your bowel movement and keeping you full for longer periods of time.
What Is the National Dish Of Ethiopia?
Known as Ethiopia’s national dish, Doro Wat is a spicy, slow-cooked berbere-spiced chicken stew.
The dish is usually made for special occasions such as religious holidays, weddings and family gatherings because it is time-consuming. Usually made with chicken, doro wat can also be made with beef.
Is Ethiopian Food Spicy?
Ethiopian food is quite spicy because it usually contains berbere spice, a mixture of many different spices, including chilli powder, ginger, garlic, basil, etc.
Awaze Tibs Recipe: Wrapping Up
If you’re having a get-together and want to wow your friends or loved ones with something different, then awaze tibs is a great option.
Just amp up the spices and serve it with some traditional injera, pita or rice, and you’re sure to blow the socks off your guests. Very quick and easy to make and super-delicious to taste, this dish will surely be a party favourite.
