Ethiopian Shiro

Shiro* (also spelled: shuro, shero) is a delicate blend of beans and spices. It can be eaten by itself at any meal or ground into a powder and used in many Ethiopian dishes.

Shiro Powder

yield 2 ¾ cups (625 g)

soak overnight

preheat the oven to 250F (130C)

½ cup (115 g) each organic dried: chickpeas, lentils, and navy beans
1 cup (225 g) dried yellow split peas
1 ½ Tbs. (22 ml) garlic powder

Boil the beans in three different pots to save time.
1. Soak the chickpeas in 1 ¼ cups (295 ml) cold water overnight, then drain.
2. Soak the navy beans in 1 ½ cups (355 ml) cold water overnight, then drain.
3. Put 
 (a) chickpeas in one pot with 2 cups (470 ml) of water and cover. Boil for 1 ½ hours.
 (b) navy beans in a pot with 2 cups (470 ml) of water and partially cover. Boil for 1 hour.
 (c.) split peas in a pot with 4 cups (940 ml) of water, partially cover. Boil without stirring for 40 minutes. 
5. Remove the pots form the heat and drain any excess water. Set aside.
6. Spread each kind of legume on a baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Roast them in the oven for 2 hours, until they are all dry.
8. Grind them together in a blender or a food processor until they are a fine powder.
9. Add the the garlic and grind until blended.
10. Store in a airtight container. It will keep for several months.

Basic Shiro Dish

1. Shiro powder is blended with water or vegetable stock until smooth.

2. Chopped onions.

3. Add season with spices, garlic, and tomatoes.

4. Whisk shiro mixture and simmer until a thickened. 

 (a) If it gets to thick, add a little water to thin it out. 

 (b) If it is too thin, cover the pan and remove it from the heat.

5. Serve hot, war, or cold with Ethiopian injera bread.

6. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

 (a) It will thicken, so stir in some water before reheating it.

* Chickpea flour can be substituted for shiro flour.

Try:
"Spicy Bean Sauce with Tomatoes"
http://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2016/08/ethiopian-spicy-bean-sauce-with-tomato.html