Zighinì

Zighinì is a traditional Eritrean dish, often eaten with injera, a type of bread made from teff, a kind of cereal. Here’s how to prepare it with an Italian twist, for instance, you could accompany it with piadina if you don’t have injera.

Ingredients

• 500 g of beef (or lamb), cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons of berbere (a typical Eritrean/Ethiopian spice blend)
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 piece of fresh ginger, grated (about 2 cm)
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes
• 500 ml of beef broth
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they become translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about another minute, spreading the scent of the spices.
3. Add the berbere to the pot and toast it for a minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add the meat cubes and brown them until they are sealed on all sides.
5. Pour the peeled tomatoes into the pot and crush them with a wooden spoon to break them up.
6. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1-2 hours, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced to become a thick sauce.
7. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
8. Serve the Zighinì hot, ideally with injera, or if you prefer an Italian touch, with lightly warmed piadina.

Curiosity

Berbere is a spice blend that typically contains chili pepper, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. The ingredients may vary, and it is also possible to make it at home by combining the toasted and ground dry spices. In Italy, a unique combination could be to use a mix of Calabrian chili pepper, aromatic herbs such as rosemary and sage, and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg for a rich but familiar flavor.