Ethiopian Kitfo (Spiced Beef Tartare with Mitmita and Niter Kibbeh)

Ethiopia's celebrated ceremonial dish: ultra-fine minced raw beef gently warmed in fiery mitmita-spiced butter, served on injera with cooling fresh ayib cheese and bright sauteed collard greens.

40 min total Base: 4 servings 375 cal total

Submitted by Mystery Chef AI

Ingredients

Adjust Servings4 servings

1Base: 4 servings32

lean beef tenderloin or sirloin

500 g

niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter)

80 g

mitmita chili powder

10 g

ground korarima (Ethiopian cardamom)

3 g

salt

5 g

ayib fresh cheese or fresh ricotta

150 g

collard greens, blanched and finely chopped

200 g

injera flatbread

4 pieces

Instructions

Trim all visible fat and sinew from the beef. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm slightly — this makes hand-mincing easier.

Using a sharp heavy knife, mince the beef as finely as possible on a clean board. Do not use a food processor, which damages the silky texture.

Melt niter kibbeh in a wide pan over the lowest heat. Add mitmita and korarima and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the minced raw beef to the spiced butter and fold gently. For leb leb (barely warmed), toss for 1 minute over low heat. For yebayal (fully cooked), continue for 3–4 minutes.

Season with salt and adjust mitmita to taste.

Arrange injera on a large plate. Mound the kitfo in the centre, place ayib on one side and sauteed collard greens on the other.

Eat by tearing pieces of injera to scoop the kitfo, cheese, and greens together.

💡 Chef's Tip

For niter kibbeh at home, melt 200 g butter with onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon over low heat for 20 minutes, then strain through cheesecloth. Keep refrigerated for weeks.

Reviews & Ratings

Only registered users can rate and review recipes.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this recipe!