Zigni

Ingredients

• 700g beef chuck or shin
• 600g red onions, about 4 large
• 5 tbsp berbere
• 4 tbsp niter kibbeh
• 6 garlic cloves
• 30g fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.5 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 600ml water
• 4 eggs
• 4 sheets injera or 300g cooked rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Cut the beef into 2cm cubes
• Peel the onions and chop them as finely as you can manage
• Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
• Hard boil the eggs for 9 minutes, then cool and peel them
• Score each peeled egg lightly two or three times with a knife

Steps

1. Put the finely chopped onions into a large heavy casserole over medium heat with no fat whatsoever.
2. Cook the onions for 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until they have given up their water, dried out and collapsed to a soft golden pulp.
3. Add the niter kibbeh and stir until it melts into the onions.
4. Cook the onions in the fat for 6 minutes more until they deepen in colour.
5. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 90 seconds.
6. Add the berbere and stir it constantly for 2 minutes so it toasts in the fat without scorching.
7. Stir in the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes.
8. Tip in the cubed beef and turn it through the paste until every piece is coated.
9. Add the chopped tomatoes, cardamom and cloves.
10. Pour in the water and bring the pot to the boil.
11. Turn the heat right down, part-cover the pot, and simmer for 70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
12. Check that the beef is tender and the sauce has darkened and thickened enough to hold a trail from the spoon.
13. Nestle the scored boiled eggs into the sauce and spoon some over them.
14. Simmer for a final 10 minutes so the eggs take on colour.
15. Season with the salt and serve the zigni spooned over injera.