“Awaze Tibs” translates to “Spiced Meat”, and that is exactly what you’ll get with this recipe. The awaze sauce focuses primarily on berbere spice, a robust Ethiopian spice blend of bold chilies and aromatic spices, essential to many East African and Ethiopian dishes. This brings to the dish its signature heat and flavor. This recipe is made with beef, though you can use lamb as well. I fell in love with the dish at a local Ethiopian place, and just had to make it myself. Let’s talk about how to make Ethiopian awaze tibs, shall we?
Beef. Use your favorite cut of beef, cut into 1-inch cubes. Vegetable Oil. Niter Kibbeh. Niter kibbeh (aka niter qibe or tesmi) is a seasoned clarified butter used extensively in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. There is no perfect substitute, but if needed, you can use ghee with an extra teaspoon of berbere spice instead. See the Recipe Notes & Tips section for more information. Vegetables. Onion, chilies, ginger, garlic, tomato. For the chilies, I use either jalapeno or Fresno peppers, though you can use any of your local favorites. Tomato Sauce. Salt and Black Pepper. For Serving. Injera or use warmed pita, rice if desired.
Set them aside for a bit. Next, heat the niter kibbeh (spiced butter) to the pan and cook down the onions and chilies, then the garlic, ginger and berbere spice blend. Return the cooked beef to the pan and simmer over medium heat 10 minutes to let the flavors develop. Boom! Done! Your Ethiopian tibs are ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn’t it? Enjoy! I hope you love this dish as much as we do. Consider adding sides, such as lentils or vegetables, and a bit of yogurt to cool the palate. While not traditional, you can serve awaze tibs with rice or bread, such as flatbread, roti, or naan, as injera can be hard to find outside of Ethiopia. You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in freezer containers
Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa, by Yohanis Gebreyesus (affiliate link, my friends!) In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean, by Hawa Hassan (Author), Julia Turshen (affiliate link, my friends!)
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