Mixed Vegetables in a Basic Ethiopian Kulet Sauce

If I were to host a dinner party with friends, Ethiopian might just be my first choice, next to Indian cuisine of course. What is so refreshing about both cuisines is that it really is a communal dining experience. If there enough dishes on the table, everyone gets to try some of each.

I've only been to Ethiopian restaurants a small number of times, but it's always been a unique and pleasurable experience. Typically the diners are presented with an array of dishes of their choosing, served over a large round of injera bread (a spongey sourdough bread usually made with teff flour). You scoop up bits of the dishes with parts of the bread and can try whatever suits your fancy.

Having Indian meals with friends is very much enjoyable for much the same reason. Order more dishes and have a taste of everything, alongside rice and savory flat breads.

I cooked up this simple dish of mixed vegetables simmered in a hot, tangy and fragrant Ethiopian tomato and berbere spice sauce and served it up with some Ethiopian-style hummus and injera bread.

Notes: Feel free to use any variety of mixed vegetables on hand. Just remember to add the vegetables that cook quicker later on in the cooking process. You can even add cooked beans if you like. Kulet is a basic sauce that goes well with so many different foods.

Mixed Vegetables in a Basic Ethiopian Kulet Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Adapted from Teff Love: Adventures in Vegan Ethiopian Cooking
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Published on July 22, 2015

Mixed vegetables cooked in a hot, tangy and aromatic Ethiopian tomato and spice sauce

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated
2 to 3 tablespoons berbere powder, to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
6 cups mixed chopped vegetables (I used a large potato, diced, 2 medium carrots, cut into strips, a generous bunch of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 8 oz (225 g) button mushrooms, sliced)
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté until softened and it begins to turn golden on the edges. Toss in the garlic and ginger and stir for another few minutes. Add the spices, stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant, and then add the tomato and salt. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes until the tomato is thickened but still chunky.
If using potato or carrots or other root vegetables, add these and pour in the water or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are just tender, stirring occasionally — about 15 minutes. Add the green beans and mushrooms or any other vegetables you are using, and continue to simmer until everything is tender, roughly another 10 minutes or so. Add more water of stock if the sauce is too thick.
Serve this dish anyway you please, over cooked grains or injera bread, or along with slices of avocado. The possibilities are endless.

Makes 4 to 6 servings