Ethiopian food is some of the best food on the planet. It is so rich in flavor and texture, as well as visual appeal. I love the Injera bread made with gluten-free teff flour, with it's slight tartness and spongy feel. I tried out two Ethiopian restaurants recently and was dazzled by the delicious food and lovely decor. My first stop was Queen of Sheba Restaurant in Tampa.
Here they have a lunch buffet with all manner of delicacies and I made my own plate of vegetarian choices.
What I love about Ethiopian food is not only is sooo delicious, but its vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are abundant and extremely satisfying. The vegetarian combo usually consists of yellow split peas with turmeric (Shiro Alitcha), spiced collard greens (Gomen), stewed cabbage (Atkilt Wot), spicy red lentils (Misir Wot), mushrooms sauteed with onions (Ingunday Tibs), a green salad (Salata), a lemony chickpea blend (Buticha) and a potato/carrrot/green bean mixture (Fasolia). I ordered a bit of red pepper sauce (Berbere) on the side, because I like it extra spicy!
The beauty of this restaurant is exquisite. All the art work and tapestry wrapped itself around me as I dined.
I had the vegetarian combination as usual and the flavor of each dish was distinct and outstanding.
Many Ethiopian restaurants make their injera using a mixture of teff and wheat flour. I always request the 100% teff grain injera as it's gluten-free. While enjoying my food, I was cocooned in a traditional style Ethiopian eating area, surrounded by a grass reed enclosure...
...and wonderful artwork.
I may try my hand at preparing Ethiopian food at home. I found some great tips at healthygreenkitchen.com and the lovely cover photo as well!
One of my favorite cuisines. Delicious, Nutritious and fun to eat!
ReplyDelete