Healthy Vegan - Mazi Mas Ethiopian Tibs 'Soya Beef' with Berbere and Cherry Tomatoes made Vegetarian

As well as bookmarking recipes from cookbooks, I mentioned that I have bookmarked some recipes from websites also.   I've had my eye on a couple of Ethiopian recipes from Azeb Woldemichael of Mazi Mas as featured in The Guardian.  It is thanks to The Guardian that I have discovered Mazi Mas and have become a fan from afar.  Mazi Mas which translates in Greek 'with us' is a roaming eatery that serves global home cuisine to the public.  The chefs are migrant and refugee women who have struggled to find work in the U.K.  Mazi Mas reminds me a little of The League of Kitchens in  NYC, America.

For those of you who read my blog, will know that I've been cooking up some global cuisine since the start of this blog; and most recently Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine has been on the menu, thanks to some new people frequenting my workplace and inspiring me.  

I was more tempted by the Berbere spices which I have come to love and have a stash of.  The original vegan Ghoulash, but if you can't find them soya chunks will work too.  The rosemary came from my garden and so did the cherry tomatoes, the last from my greenhouse - yes in November. 

Both dishes: the Ethiopian Tibs 'Soya Beef' with Berbere and Cherry Tomatoes and White Cabbage, Carrot and Potato are extremely rich and flavour packed.  I loved them both and so did D, he just wasn't keen on the Injera - Ethiopian Sourdough flatbread that has little bubbles on top like a crumpet.  He found the Injera texture a little to strange to eat, as it has a rubber aspect to it.  It didn't bother me at all; and I ate it traditionally with my fingers.  

I must forewarn you, if you choose to make the original recipe or my adapted version, please note its make a lot and I mean a lot.  We will be eating these dishes for four days at least - unless some of you want to come on over and help clean the plates!
Ethiopian 'Soya Beef'  Tibs with Berbere and Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
125ml oil
5 onions, minced
2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons berbere powder
1 x 250grams tinned tomatoes, chopped
250grams Soy Schnetzel (not reconstituted) or soya  'beef' chunks (re-hydrated and sliced in half) 
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
125ml vegetarian red wine
2 tablespoons Nitteh Kibbeh (Ethiopian Butter), ghee; unsalted butter OR vegan margarine 
Salt to taste
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 green chillies, sliced in half
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan, then stir in the onion and cook until soft and tender.
Then stir in the berbere and tinned tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes or so, before stirring in the soya chunks, rosemary sprigs  and 100ml water.  Cook until the liquid begins to disappear, then stir in the wine and simmer for a few minutes, if it is a little dry, pour in a little water.  
Add the butter.  Season with salt and simmer for a few more minutes for the flavours to combine. 
Finally stir in the fresh tomatoes and green chillies and cook until the tomatoes have begun to soften.
Serve with injera (or rice or South Indian roti)
Adapted from Mazi Mas as featured in The Guardian and made suitable for vegetarians and vegan
Caramelized White Cabbage, Carrot and Potato
Recipe credited and from Mazi Mas as featured in The Guardian 
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, about 1 thumb size
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite size cubes
1/2 head white cabbage, sliced
Salt to taste
Method 
In a wide pan, heat the oil , then cook the onions slowly until they are soft and translucent.  Then stir in the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for a few minutes for them to meld.
Then stir in the potatoes - cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the carrots and the cabbage and cook over medium-low heat until they are cooked through, this will take around 25 - 30 minutes.