Kik Alicha

Ethiopian mild yellow split pea stew simmered with turmeric, ginger, and spiced clarified butter, served on injera

Origin: Ethiopian Highlands

From the journey of Pea.

Kik alicha is the gentle face of Ethiopian cooking. Where the great red wot stews are fired with the chilli-laden spice blend berbere, the alicha family is mild, golden, and turmeric-warmed, built for balance rather than heat, and kik alicha, the yellow split pea version, is the most beloved of them all. It belongs above all to the long Ethiopian fasting calendar. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church observes meat-free and dairy-free fasting (tsom) for as much as two-thirds of the year, including every Wednesday and Friday and the long weeks of Lent, and in that vast vegan calendar the split pea is indispensable: a cheap, storable, deeply satisfying protein that carries the warmth of spiced oil and the colour of turmeric. The pea itself is woven into the very land. The Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands are one of the world's independent centres of plant domestication, the home of teff, ensete, and noog, and the place where the Abyssinian pea (Pisum abyssinicum) was taken into cultivation separately from the Fertile Crescent crop, thousands of years ago. Whether made today from the indigenous dekoko or from imported yellow split peas, kik alicha is a dish whose lineage reaches back to that ancient highland agriculture. The technique is simple and forgiving. Split peas are simmered until they collapse, then enriched with a base of long-cooked onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric, and finished with niter kibbeh, the Ethiopian clarified butter infused with korarima, fenugreek, and aromatics that gives so much Ethiopian food its distinctive perfume (for a fasting version, a fragrant oil stands in for the butter). It is eaten communally, scooped up with torn pieces of injera, the great sour, spongy teff flatbread that is plate, bread, and utensil all at once.

Ingredients

Peas

300 g yellow split peas, rinsed (or split dekoko if available)
1.2 l water, plus more as needed

Aromatic base

2 piece large onions, very finely chopped
4 piece garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1.5 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter), or fragrant oil for a fasting version
2 piece mild green chillies (jalapeño type), slit lengthways

Seasoning

1.5 tsp salt, or to taste
0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the rinsed split peas in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 40 to 50 minutes, until the peas are completely soft and beginning to fall apart. Top up with hot water if they threaten to dry out. Whisk briefly to break them into a coarse purée.
While the peas cook, make the base. In a separate wide pan, cook the finely chopped onion gently over a medium-low heat with no fat at all for about 8 minutes, stirring, until softened and dry. This dry-frying of the onion is the foundation of Ethiopian stews.
Add the niter kibbeh (or oil) to the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes until glossy. Stir in the grated garlic, ginger, and turmeric, and cook for 2 minutes until thoroughly fragrant and the raw garlic smell has gone.
Tip the cooked split peas into the onion base and stir to combine. Add the slit green chillies, the salt, and the black pepper. Simmer together gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the stew is thick, smooth, and unctuous. Loosen with a little hot water if needed to a soft, spoonable consistency.
Taste and adjust the salt. Rest off the heat for a few minutes, then serve warm, spread over injera with other dishes alongside, or with rice.

Notes

Kik alicha is naturally vegan if made with oil rather than niter kibbeh, which makes it a mainstay of Orthodox fasting. It is classically served as part of a beyaynetu, a platter of several vegan stews on injera. For a richer everyday version, finish with a knob of niter kibbeh stirred through at the end. A squeeze of lemon at the table lifts it.

The Gastrographer

Name: Kik Alicha
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Ethiopian Highlands
Ingredients: 300 g yellow split peas, rinsed (or split dekoko if available); 1.2 l water, plus more as needed; 2 piece large onions, very finely chopped; 4 piece garlic cloves, finely grated; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated; 1.5 tsp ground turmeric; 3 tbsp niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter), or fragrant oil for a fasting version; 2 piece mild green chillies (jalapeño type), slit lengthways; 1.5 tsp salt, or to taste; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

To explore — select an ingredient below · click any location dot on the map for recipes and stories · browse the information panel on the right · trace the full journey on the timeline.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control