Shiro
Vegetarian
ሽሮ · shiro
A smooth, velvety stew of spiced chickpea flour simmered with onion, garlic and tomato. Quick, filling and a mainstay of fasting days in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Shiro is an Ethiopian stew, ready in about 40 minutes and made with berbere and chickpea flour. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 273
Method
Step 1
Cook the onions (opens in a new tab) in the oil over medium heat until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato (opens in a new tab) and cook until the tomato breaks down.
- 10 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 2
Stir in the berbere (opens in a new tab) and cook for a minute, then pour in the hot water and bring to a simmer.
- 3 min
- medium heat
Step 3
Whisk (opens in a new tab) in the chickpea flour (opens in a new tab) a spoonful at a time so no lumps form.
- 3 min
- low heat
- Whisk (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 4
Simmer gently, stirring often, until thick, glossy and no longer tasting raw. Season with the salt and garnish with green chilli (opens in a new tab).
- 15 min
- low heat
It should be the consistency of a thick soup; add a little more hot water if it sets too firm.
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainA long-standing staple of both Ethiopia and Eritrea; no single place of origin is documented.Also popular in Ethiopia, Eritrea
- Dish
- Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Simmered
- Taste
- savoury, spicy (chilli heat), creamy, earthy
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Carb-conscious - Good for
- One-pot · Budget-friendly · Everyday
- Cook more with
- Berbere · Chickpea flour · Onion · Garlic · Tomato
- Techniques
- Simmering
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
273 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 310 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 12%
- Carbohydrate 37%
- Fat 52%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 273 kcal | 88 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g | 2.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.4 g | 8.2 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 20.3 g | 6.5 g |
| Sugars | 6.5 g | 2.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 5.2 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 5.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.3 g | 0.4 g |
| Trans fat | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 655 mg | 212 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.6 g | 0.5 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 448 mg
- Calcium
- 58 mg
- Iron
- 2 mg
- Magnesium
- 65 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 37 µg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 147 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: green chilli.
- Berbere: Blended chili powder (FDC 171319) used as a stand-in; berbere is a chilli-based Ethiopian/Eritrean blend with fenugreek, coriander and warm spices and has a broadly similar profile.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Traditional shiro powder is roasted chickpea or broad-bean flour pre-mixed with spices; if you use it, skip the berbere and taste before salting.
Common mistakes
- Dumping the flour in at once causes lumps that are hard to whisk out.
Serve with
- Serve bubbling in a small clay pot (tegamino) with injera.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
- Reheat with a splash of water, whisking until smooth.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Tomato, finely chopped1 piece · 120 g
- Chickpea flour120 g
Masalas in this recipe
Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.
Dry spice blend
Berbere spice blend
This recipe uses 1 tbsp (6.4 g for 4 servings).
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
Eritrean · 2 h 5 min · 295 kcal