Yeshimbra Asa
Submitted by firestorm473
Crispy chickpea flour shapes fried golden then simmered in a fiery berbere and cayenne sauce. Yeshimbra asa is Ethiopian fasting food that proves plant-based eating can pack serious heat and flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minHere’s a dish that will change how you think about chickpea flour forever.
Yeshimbra asa, which translates to “chickpea fish," is a traditional Ethiopian fasting dish served during Lent and other religious observances when meat, dairy, and eggs are off the table. The “fish” are shapes cut from a simple chickpea flour dough, fried until crisp and golden, then gently simmered in a blazing sauce of berbere and cayenne.
The result is something both crunchy and saucy, spicy and earthy. Ethiopians traditionally cut the dough into fish shapes and decorate them with intricate designs, turning each piece into edible art.
Kitchen Tips
- Add water to the chickpea flour a teaspoon at a time. You want a stiff, rollable dough, not a batter. It should hold together like cookie dough.
- Use a lightly floured surface and roll to a quarter inch thick. Too thin and they fall apart in the sauce.
- Fry in batches without crowding the pan. Crowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy instead of crisp.
- Handle gently once they go into the sauce. A slotted spoon is your best friend here.
Ingredients
Directions
In a dry, heavy pot, stir the onions over low heat until browned.
Add ⅓ cup water along with the cayenne, salt and oil.
Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and then add another ⅔ cup water and the berbere.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, add just enough water to the pea flour to make a thick dough similar to that for rolled cookies.
Try using ½ cup water and add extra a teaspoonful at a time until the mixture adheres to itself to form a ball.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of a ¼ inch and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
Ethiopians make fish shapes and decorate them with all sorts of designs.
Fry the pieces in moderately hot oil in a heavy skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, turning several times.
When they are crisp and brown, cautiously spoon them into the sauce in the pot.
Simmer gently for 5 or 6 minutes, being careful not to break the shapes.
Lift pieces out with a slotted spoon and drain on cloths.
Serve with the sauce.
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