Kulet: Fragrant Ethiopian Stew Base

The foundation of all thick, spicy Ethiopian stews starts with slow-cooking onions, garlic, ginger, and berbere until they melt into one another. Let this crimson-colored base bubble for a few hours, and you can have dinner all week. Use it to make chicken stew, fish stew, red lentil stew, or all of them at once. Feel free to halve or double the recipe, too. Ethiopian cooks typically chop the onions finely by hand. I make good use of the food processor to shorten this task, with the same luscious results.

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Kulet: Fragrant Ethiopian Stew Base

The basis for all thick, spicy Ethiopian stews.

Servings 16 cups

Calories 863kcal

Ingredients

• 11 large yellow onions peeled and quartered
• 6 cups vegetable oil plus more if necessary
• 2 cups Berbere
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons fine sea salt
• 8 cups hot water
• 6 ounces tomato paste or 12 ounces, if you prefer less heat
• 1 tablespoon Ground Roasted Korarima or ground cardamom

Instructions

• In a food processor, puree the onions until smooth.
• Pour the onions into a large pot and bring to simmer over high heat.
• Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat if the onions begin browning, until most of the water has evaporated, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Stir in the oil and simmer for about 5 minutes to incorporate.
• Stir in the berbere, garlic, ginger, and salt. The mixture should be moist; if it appears dry, add more hot water, about ½ cup at a time.
• Cover the pot and cook over medium heat until the onions have taken on a red hue, for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the hot water and tomato paste and stir well.
• Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the stew base becomes fragrant, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the korarima. Let cool.

Notes

Storage- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 47g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3669mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 20mg

From GURSHA: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond © 2025 by Tevletz Barhany-John. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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