The genius of the typical Ethiopian cuisine is this: it has no dessert.
Instead, you find the sweetness in the main dish itself. The Ethiopian spice blends - maqulaya and especially mekelesha - are concocted such that they exude sweetness only by virtue of their ingredients and, more importantly, the proportion of their ingredients. Maqulaya which translates to "for sauteing" and mekelesha which corresponds to "for simmering or for finishing" are both essential spice blends for making Ethiopian stews, and together with berbere, the Ethiopian chili blend, they render the distinctive taste and aroma in Ethiopian dishes.
Qulet - Ethiopia's curry - is the starting point of any Ethiopian stew and typically includes onions, garlic and ginger and sometimes tomatoes, all sauteed with maqulaya and for a hot, spicier version also with berbere. Tomatoes - a fruit, not a veg - make things sweeter. And a concentration of alliums always means umami.
Injera, the Ethiopian sourdough flatbread is tart, and as far as my experience goes, tarter than other sourdough breads. This over-tartness is then beautifully complimented by the savory, umami and spicy stews with a clear undertone of sweetness.
And when you bring in bitter things like sinafich and siljo and such into the mix, you hit the full spectrum of tastes: sour, salty, sweet, bitter, umami and spicy. And this...is a satisfying experience to the sense of taste (and perhaps more broadly to the digestive system). And this...is the genius of the Ethiopian cuisine.
But this post has nothing to do with the Ethiopian cuisine. It has to do with...cookies.
Except perhaps that the main ingredient in the cookies is teff, the high protein, high fiber, gluten-free grain indigenous to Ethiopia and Eritrea and which is used to make the aforementioned injera.
The teff does make a difference. Together with the other wholesome ingredients, these are nutritious crunchy bites masquerading as cookies.
Sweet Winter, fellow northerners.
---
Recipe from the Ontario Vipassana Centre
PS. The original recipe called for xantham gum and margarine which I subbed with tapioca flour and coconut oil respectively, both of which worked nicely. Also reduced the sugar from 1 1/4 cup to just 3/4 cup which worked well for my taste; for a sweeter version, go with 1 cup or the original recipe.
PPS. This cookie is vegan.
PPPS. If you're having Ethiopian on the regular, carry on. Whatever your diet, you may want to heed this advice we're getting these days about the order in which we ought to consume our food...
Makes 35 to 40 cookies (if you don't have a big party, best to freeze half to bake at another time)
Ingredients:
3 cups teff flour
1.5 cups thinly shredded coconut
2 tsp tapioca flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
0.75 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup demerara sugar (or coconut sugar or brown sugar or whatever sugar you have on hand)
1 1/3 cups 70% cacao, dark chocolate chips (for an elevated experience, buy your fave dark chocolate and chop into chips)
1 1/3 cups virgin coconut oil (in a semi-solid state or having a margarine-like texture; cool in the fridge if needed to get the desired texture; this is important to get the right dough consistency)
1 cup water (for mixing dry ingredients)
4.5 tbsp ground flaxseeds
4.5 tbsp water (for making flaxseed paste)
Creative steps:
First, make the flaxseed paste. In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseeds with water to make a paste and put aside. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add coconut oil, flaxseed paste and water and then mix thoroughly. Roll dough with hands into a ping pong-sized ball and flatten gently. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are baked through and the aroma in the room causes a near swoon. En...joy.
