Zigni (Beef Stew from Eritrea)

User Reviews

5

2 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    15 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    35 mins

  • Servings

    6 servings

  • Calories

    489 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    African

Zigni (Beef Stew from Eritrea)

Zigni is a beef stew dish that is very popular in Eritrean cuisine! It is made with tomatoes, red onions, and a special spice blend called Berbere.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 lb beef stew meat
  • 1 ½ tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tomato paste 6 oz can, about ½ cup
  • 1 red onion finely diced, small
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes (finely diced, canned, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp berbere
  • 1 tbsp garlic
  • ½ butter unsalted, stick

Instructions

  1. Add vegetable oil to a pot and allow it to heat. Then, add the stew beef, cumin, turmeric, and ¼ cup tomato paste.
  2. Add the finely diced onions and the 14 oz can of tomatoes. Stir. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2 hours.
  3. After 2 hours add berbere spice, garlic, and butter. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Notes

  • Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only. 
  • 2 lb of stew beef
  • Tomato paste, red onion, can of finely diced tomatoes (can also sub fresh Roma tomatoes) 
  • Vegetable oil, unsalted butter
  • Cumin, turmeric,
  • berbere spice blend
  • , garlic
  • If you want to keep the recipe from being too spicy, you can always eliminate the berbere spice blend altogether. In this case, I would still add some sprinkles of cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, and cumin. You can omit the cayenne altogether! 
  • To eat the Zigni in a traditional manner, you can also make
  • Injera
  • , a bread that the Eritreans use to scoop up the stew. 
  • If you’d like to try a non-traditional, but also delicious way to eat this stew, you can serve it with the same ingredients you would serve chili with! When I tried it this way, I added sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips to the top of my bowl. It was delicious, and also provided my spicy-resistant mouth some sanctuary from the spiciness. 
  • You can make the
  • Berbere spice blend using these instructions
  • , or you can purchase the blend from the spice section of your grocery store
  • The recipe is fairly greasy for Western Taste. If you want a less greasy version of the Zigni, you can use less vegetable oil or even omit the butter altogether! This should help immensely if that is what you’d prefer.
  • Beef: 2 lb of stew beef
  • Vegetables: Tomato paste, red onion, can of finely diced tomatoes (can also sub fresh Roma tomatoes) 
  • Oils: Vegetable oil, unsalted butter
  • Spices: Cumin, turmeric, berbere spice blend, garlic
  • If you want to keep the recipe from being too spicy, you can always eliminate the berbere spice blend altogether. In this case, I would still add some sprinkles of cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, and cumin. You can omit the cayenne altogether! 
  • To eat the Zigni in a traditional manner, you can also make Injera, a bread that the Eritreans use to scoop up the stew. 
  • If you’d like to try a non-traditional, but also delicious way to eat this stew, you can serve it with the same ingredients you would serve chili with! When I tried it this way, I added sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips to the top of my bowl. It was delicious, and also provided my spicy-resistant mouth some sanctuary from the spiciness. 
  • You can make the Berbere spice blend using these instructions, or you can purchase the blend from the spice section of your grocery store
  • The recipe is fairly greasy for Western Taste. If you want a less greasy version of the Zigni, you can use less vegetable oil or even omit the butter altogether! This should help immensely if that is what you’d prefer.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1serving Calories 489kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 16g (94%) Monounsaturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 94mg (31%) Sodium 338mg (14%) Potassium 717mg (15%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 115IU (2%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 71mg (7%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 489 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 489kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 16g 94%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 338mg 14%
Potassium 717mg 15%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 115IU 2%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 71mg 7%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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