ERITREA ~ Spaghetti in Zigni Sauce
Eritrea is situated in the Northern part of East Africa. It borders on Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Red Sea seperates it from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In 1890, Eritrea was consolidated into a colony by the Italian government which has left its mark on the cuisine and other traditions. The modern state gained independence from Ethiopia following a 30-year war that lasted from 1961-1991. Today, it's a multilingual and multicultural country with 2 dominant religions - Sunni Islam and Orthodox Christianity. There are 9 major ethnic groups and no official language, but 3 working languages: Tigrinya, Arabic and English.
Most Eritreans like their food hot and spicy. Berbere {dried chili pepper mix} accompanies almost all dishes. Stews include zigni {beef}, doro tsebhi {chicken}, alicha {made without berbere}, and shiro {puree of various legumes}. Breakfast is generally very light, lunch and dinner are the major meals and often very spicy.
ERITREAN SPAGHETTI IN ZIGNI SAUCE
Serves 2
1 pound ground beef {or ground turkey, not authentic but I prefer it}
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Berbere, or Hot Sauce of choice
1 can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound Spaghetti, cooked
2 cups chicken stock
Brown beef {or turkey} in pan with oil. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add berbere or hot sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, salt and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour over spaghetti and serve fresh.
Source: "Taste of Eritrea" by Olivia Warren