Tihillo: calories and recipe

Ingredients

• 150 g beef meat, dried (quanta) (1 large cup)
• 150 g tomato, unpeeled, chopped (1.5 medium cup)
• 1 g mixed spices (mekelesha) (0.5 small spoon)
• 30 g berbere (3 tbsp)
• 7 g salt (for sauce) (1 tsp)
• 80 g oil (1 medium ECC)
• 24 g garlic, peeled, mashed (6 small spoon)
• 30 g butter (5 tbsp)
• 500 g water (for sauce) (0.5 l)
• 200 g onion, peeled, chopped (5 small cup)
• 303 g barley, white, husked, roasted, spiced flour (besso) (3 large cup)
• 430 g water (for dough) (0.43 l)
• 11 g salt (for dough) (2 small spoon)
• 4 g cardamom powder (2 small spoon)

How to make it

1. 1Cook chopped onion in a pan until soft and brown for about 6 minutes; pour in oil and cook for 4 minutes.
2. 2Stir in mashed garlic and cook for 3 minutes; add berbere and cook for 6 minutes adding drops of water.
3. 3Incorporate chopped tomato and cook for 15 minutes; add dried meat and cook for 4 minutes.
4. 4Season with mixed spices, then add salt, butter, and cook for 2 minutes; remove from heat.
5. 5For dough: mix water and besso flour gradually, knead until soft and pliable; roll into small balls.
6. 6Pour sauce into a central bowl, place dough balls around it, and dip each ball using a wooden sintar fork.

Recipe and nutrition: EPHI & FAO, Ethiopian Food Recipes 2025