Kik alicha

Name: Kik alicha
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ethiopia
Ingredients: 300 g yellow split peas, rinsed; 2 onions, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 cm piece of ginger, grated; 1½ tsp ground turmeric; 60 ml neutral oil; 1.2 litres water; 1½ tsp salt; White pepper

Local name : ክክ አልጫ

A gentle Ethiopian stew of yellow split peas with turmeric, onion, garlic and ginger, and not a trace of chilli.

VeganGluten-free#split peas#turmeric#mild#ginger#ethiopian

Photo : stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 60 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Put the split peas in a pan with the water, bring to the boil and skim off the foam carefully.
Lower the heat and cook covered for 30 minutes, until the peas are tender and starting to break down.
Meanwhile, fry the onions in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, until golden and thoroughly soft.
Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and stir for 2 minutes so the spices open up in the oil.
Tip this onion base into the split peas with the salt and continue cooking uncovered for 15 minutes.
Crush some of the peas against the side of the pan to bind the sauce, which should stay loose but coating.
Season with white pepper, adjust the salt, and serve with injera or rice alongside something spicier.

Alicha means “mild” in Amharic: the dish is deliberately set against the berbere-spiced stews and balances an Ethiopian platter. It is also the one children are handed first.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories: 443 kcal
Protein: 18.8 g
Fat: 16.9 g
Carbohydrate: 57.3 g
Fibre: 18.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why is there no chilli at all?

Alicha means mild in Amharic, in deliberate contrast to berbere-based dishes. On an Ethiopian platter kik alicha is there to balance the fiery ones, and it is the dish most readily given to children.

Do I need to skim the split peas?

Yes, carefully, as soon as they come to the boil. That foam clouds the sauce and dulls the flavour. It takes a moment but it changes how clean the finished stew tastes.

How do I get a bound sauce without blending?

Crush some of the peas against the side of the pan near the end. The sauce should stay pourable but coating; blending it entirely gives a uniform puree that no longer works with injera.

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