BEG SIGA ALICHA
(TENDER LAMB CUBES SIMMERED IN MILD TURMERIC AND ONION SAUCE)
Alicha / alitcha / alecha is my favorite Ethiopian preparation, so I’m always happy to try making it at home. It’s a very simple preparation – there are no spice mixes involved, just aromatics, a pinch of ajowan (ajwain / caraway), and turmeric for color.
This was easy and flavorful dish. I don’t like ajwain, so I skipped it. I’ve had versions with cardamom or an aromatic spice blend or oil at the end, so I also added some cardamom because I love it.
A quick (pressure cooker for the lamb, easy sauce) and tasty dish. I ate it with faux-injera crepes with leftover sauteed spinach and buticha (chickpea flour salad / paste).
Most Ethiopian recipe videos I’ve watched use a dry-saute method for onions, whereby no fat is applied at the beginning, the onions are slow-cooked till they soften, then other ingredients and oil or niter kebbeh are added. Here, the method is simplified by starting with oil and niter kebbeh, and continuing on. I can’t really tell a flavor difference, but maybe it has to do with how the onions break down. He also uses jalapenos as a garnish at the end, perhaps to leave the dish completely mild, but I’ve always seen them added to flavor the sauce and I don’t mind the heat, so I added them during cooking (and I used serranos).
