Zigni
Non-vegetarian
ዝግኒ · zigni
A deep red, spicy Eritrean beef stew built on a slow base of onions cooked down with berbere, garlic and tomato until jammy. Rich, warming and made for scooping up with injera.
Zigni is an Eritrean stew, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with red onion, berbere and beef chuck. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h 50 min
- Total
- 2 h 5 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 295
Method
Step 1
Cook the onions in a dry pot over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they lose their moisture and soften — about 15 minutes.
- 15 min
- medium-low heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
Dry-cooking the onions is the classic start to Eritrean and Ethiopian stews.
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 2
Add the oil and berbere (opens in a new tab) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until deep red and fragrant, adding a splash of water if it starts to catch.
- 5 min
- medium-low heat
Step 3
Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook until thick and jammy.
- 10 min
- medium-low heat
Step 4
Add the beef and salt, stir to coat, then pour in the water. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender and the sauce thick, stirring now and then.
- 80 min
- low heat
About this dish
- Origin
- Eritrea · Commonly attributedA signature Eritrean stew; closely related to Ethiopian key wat.Also popular in EthiopiaMore food from Eritrea
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Stewed, Simmered
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), rich, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-proteinWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · One-pot · Batch cooking
- Cook more with
- Red onion · Berbere · Beef chuck · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Tomato paste
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
295 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 319 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 40%
- Carbohydrate 13%
- Fat 47%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 295 kcal | 92 kcal |
| Protein | 30.7 g | 9.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.9 g | 3.1 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 7.4 g | 2.3 g |
| Sugars | 4.8 g | 1.5 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 2.4 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 15.7 g | 4.9 g |
| Saturated fat | — | — |
| Trans fat | 0.3 g | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 85 mg | 27 mg |
| Sodium | 792 mg | 248 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 788 mg
- Calcium
- 57 mg
- Iron
- 3.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 47 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 71 µg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- —
- Folate (DFE)
- —
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: cardamom.
- 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
- Zigni tastes even better the next day once the berbere has mellowed.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the onions — they give the stew its body.
Serve with
- Serve on injera or with bread (kitcha), with plain yogurt to tame the heat.
Food safety
- Simmer stewing beef, goat or lamb until fork-tender; cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.
Reheating
- Reheat gently, adding water if thick.
Variations
- Tsebhi derho: The same base made with chicken pieces and hard-boiled eggs.
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
- Red onion, very finely chopped3 piece · 330 g
- Tomato paste2 tbsp · 33 g
- Tomato, finely chopped2 piece · 240 g
- Beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes800 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 3 tbsp (19 g for 6 servings).
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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