Ethiopian beef tibs, known as siga tibs, are an Ethiopian version of fajitas, seasoned with berbere spice and spicy awaze paste and served with injera bread for a filling and tasty African supper.
Ethiopian Beef Tibs
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Ethiopian beef tibs are like an African version of fajitas, thinly sliced steak in a spicy stir-fry containing berbere spice and awaze paste. It differs from the foods called wots as those are stews.
What is Injera Bread?
The beef is served atop large rounds of injera bread, an African specialty made of a slightly fermented and tangy dough made from teff flour. Although cooked on a large flat griddle similar to a tawa, looking every bit like it should turn out like a crepe or pancake, it differs quite a lot.
The texture is very spongy, with little holes all over the top. The flavor is tangy and delicious. And it is your fork, spoon and knife all in one because traditionally, this bread is torn off as your utensil. The foods are arranged over a large injera on a platter, and smaller pieces are mop-rolled and spread around the platter. You use the first pieces to pick up the wots (or stews) and tibs and other delicious foods (which are usually 6-8 of them) and at the end, the pieces underneath are gobbled up, coated with the last of the food sauces.
Pictured from Top left going clockwise: Misir Wot, Rolls of Injera bread, Gomen, Beef Tibs, all on a larger round of Injera
Of course you can use a fork or spoon if you like. And if you can’t get real injera, it is probably understood that you can eat this with something like nan bread or pita, along with perhaps something like couscous or rice if you don’t want to do bread. Personally, I would use a piece of sourdough, because I can tell you that authentic injera has such a wonderful sourdough tang that you don’t want to miss it. Of course, the texture will be different, but in the end, flavor is utmost.
I was lucky enough to procure my bread from a local market that specializes in Ethiopian foods (as well as snag some fresh spices there).
What About Those Other Foods?
I am also posting recipes for Niter Kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and Awaze Paste (spicy cooking paste) today which are used in this recipe. The other two recipes, the Misir Wot, which is spiced lentils similar to an Indian dal, only thicker and with different flavors, and the Gomen, the braised collard greens with Ethiopian seasonings, I will be posting over the next few days, so stay tuned.
Eat the World
Ethiopian Cuisine
Check out all the wonderful Ethiopian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Juli: Misir Wot – Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew
Sue: Ethiopian Beef Tibs
Amy: Buticha – Ethiopian Hummus
Syama: Himbasha – Ethiopian Spiced Bread
Evelyne: Flavor-Packed Ethiopian Shekla Tibs
Lynda: Tikel Gomen (Ethiopian Cabbage & Potatoes)
Wendy: Doro Wat and Atkilt
Margaret: An Ethiopian Meal with Misir Wat, Signi Wat, Gomen Wat, and Speedy Injera Flatbread
Ethiopian Beef Siga Tibs
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 pounds beef top sirloin steak, thinly sliced (like fajitas)
- 2-3 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 4 tablespoons niter kibbeh, divided (click for recipe)
- 2 tablespoons berbere spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Ethiopian awaze spice paste (click for recipe)
Method:
- Toss beef slices with berbere spice and salt.
- Heat half the niter kibbeh (2 tbsp.) in a wok skillet and cook peppers and onions with garlic until crisp tender, then set aside.
- Add the remaining niter kibbeh (2 tbsp.) in the wok skillet, and cook off beef until as done as you like, similar to cooking fajitas.
- Stir in the awaze paste and cooked veggies.
- Serve tibs with injera bread and other Ethiopian dishes as you like.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
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