Crispy Shiro Fries with Awaze Yogurt Dip
Berbere-spiced shiro batter set, cut into sticks and fried until crisp outside and creamy inside, a vegan answer to fries, with a fiery awaze yogurt dip.
Method
Lightly oil a 20×20 cm shallow tray or dish, or line it with baking paper.
Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the tray) 1 tsp
Put the chickpea flour, water, part of the berbere, the garlic powder and part of the salt in a pot (18 cm) and whisk until smooth before turning on the heat. Cook over medium heat for , whisking constantly. It stays runny at first, then thickens suddenly; switch to a spatula and scrape the bottom as you stir. It is ready when very thick and pulling away from the sides of the pot.
Add in this stepShiro powder or chickpea flour 120 gWater 480 mlBerbere 0.6 tspGarlic powder ½ tspSalt ½ tsp
medium heatWhile hot, pour it into the tray and spread it 1.5 cm thick with a wet spatula. Cover and chill for at least until completely firm.
Awaze yogurt dip: mix the yogurt with the remaining berbere, the lemon juice, the grated garlic and a little salt.
Add in this stepGreek yogurt 120 gBerbere 0.4 tspLemon ½Garlic clove (for the dip) 1Salt ⅛ tsp
Turn the set batter out and cut it into 1.5 × 7 cm sticks; pat the surfaces dry with kitchen paper. Pour the frying oil 1 cm deep into a 20 cm deep pan and heat over medium-high heat for to 180 °C. No thermometer? A test stick should bubble briskly straight away. Never fill the pan more than a third, and never leave hot oil unattended.
Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 300 ml
medium-high heatAdd the sticks without crowding and fry, keeping the heat at medium-high heat, for , turning once halfway, until deep golden and crisp. Fry in 2 batch(es) so the oil stays hot. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with the remaining salt and serve hot with the dip.
Add in this stepSalt ⅛ tsp
medium-high heat
Cook's tip
Cook the batter long enough and chill it completely, or the fries will break up in the oil. To bake instead, brush them with oil and roast at 220 °C for 25–30 minutes, turning halfway. If the oil spits, the sticks are still wet: pat them drier.
Cooking it at camp
Make, set and cut the batter at home and pack the sticks in the cooler. At camp, it is safer to pan-fry them in a generous film of oil in a cast-iron pan on the burner than to deep-fry.