Enguday Tibs
እንጉዳይ ጥብስ·(en-goo-dye tibs)
Yetsom Weeknights: The Wednesday & Friday Fast
Fifteen minutes. That is the entire window between dropping supermarket creminis into a smoking cast-iron skillet and pulling a proper fasting-day tibs off the heat. Tibs is the sound and smell of celebration—meat sizzling in a hot pan with onions, jalapeños, and fragrant rosemary. To replicate those aromas on a meatless Wednesday, you must respect the foundational technique: the dry sauté. Sweat the onions without a drop of oil to evaporate their water and concentrate their deep, sweet flavor. Pair this traditional dry-sauté with a brilliant diaspora restaurant trick—briefly blanching the mushrooms so they remain plump instead of soaking up all the fat—yielding a deeply savory stew. Turn on the exhaust fan, let the mushrooms blister before you stir them, and have the injera waiting.
Ingredients
- cremini or portobello mushrooms1 lb
- red onion1 large
- neutral or olive oil3 tbsp
- berbere spice blend1 1/2 tbsp
- garlic4 small cloves
- tomato1 med
- dry red wine1/4 cup
- fresh rosemary sprig1 med
- fresh jalapeños2 med
- korerima1/2 tsp
- salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Blanch the mushrooms to prevent them from soaking up excess oil.
Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil, drop the sliced mushrooms in for exactly 30 seconds, then drain immediately to collapse their spongy structure and keep them juicy.
- 02
Begin the canonical Ethiopian dry sauté.
Place the sliced red onions in a large, dry skillet over medium heat without a drop of oil. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until their natural water evaporates and a brown fond begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- 03
Deglaze with water to build the flavor base.
Add a tablespoon of tap water and scrape up the brown bits so they coat the onions, repeating this process for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are deeply softened, translucent, and rich golden-brown.
- 04
Bloom the spices in the hot oil.
Push the caramelized onions to the side of the pan, pour in the oil, and add the minced garlic and berbere directly into the fat. Toast for 30 seconds until highly fragrant, then stir the spiced oil back into the onions.
- 05
Incorporate the aromatics and deglaze with wine.
Stir in the diced tomato and cook for 2 minutes until it begins to break down, then pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce by half.
- 06
Bring the tibs together.
Toss the blanched mushrooms into the skillet along with the chopped rosemary and half of the sliced jalapeños, ensuring everything is completely coated in the deeply spiced onion base.
- 07
Simmer, season, and serve immediately.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in the ground korerima and salt, cook uncovered for one final minute, and garnish with the remaining fresh jalapeños before serving with injera or rice.
Notes
Substitute mitmita for a sharper, restaurant-style heat.
If you prefer the bright, sharp heat found in many Ethiopian-American restaurant preparations, substitute the berbere with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of mitmita.
Use standard cardamom if korerima is unavailable.
Korerima is an Ethiopian black cardamom with a distinct smoky flavor. If you can't find it, a pinch of green cardamom mixed with freshly ground black pepper will do the job.