This Ethiopian Kik Alicha – Split Pea stew is a simple warm stew with just 6 ingredients. Serve with Injera, flatbread or rice.. Vegan Gluten-free
Kike or Kik Alicha or Split Pea stew. This is another simple stew is very similar to Indian split pea daal. I used 2 types of split peas for the one in the pictures. You can use just the yellow or just the green as well. Also, ignore the mustard seeds in the pictured stew, which were accidentally added:) It is the fault of muscle memory.. my hand automatically grabs either mustard seeds or cumin seeds to add to the hot oil when making daal.
I served this Split pea stew with some cumin scented Wild rice blend. I have some Teff flour now, so Injera(ethiopian flat bread) trials are predicted in the near future.
Ethiopian Kik Alicha is a very mild, no spice lentil preparation. For a spicier Wat version, add some Berbere spice blend like this Missir Wat/Wot – Red lentil stew.
Ethiopian food is becoming my next favorite food right after Indian food. I need to pick up some books with information about how the flavors came about and the basics of ethiopian food. Leave me suggestions in the comments. I am planning to get myself Kittee’s Papa Tofu loves Ethiopian soon.
Its the day after my yoga therapy and my eyes can barely read. so a short post today..
In some awesome news EU will not allow any animal tested cosmetics and toiletries!
And my Roasted Butternut, Balsamic Caramelized onion, Sriracha Mayo sandwich got shared by MFA, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and VegNews!
For More Daals, Lentil Stews, Bean curries see here.
Ethiopian Kik Alicha is a very mild, no spice lentil preparation. For a spicier Wat version, add some Berbere spice blend like this Missir Wat/Wot – Red lentil stew.
Ethiopian food is becoming my next favorite food right after Indian food. I need to pick up some books with information about how the flavors came about and the basics of ethiopian food. Leave me suggestions in the comments. I am planning to get myself Kittee’s Papa Tofu loves Ethiopian soon.
Its the day after my yoga therapy and my eyes can barely read. so a short post today..
In some awesome news EU will not allow any animal tested cosmetics and toiletries!
And my Roasted Butternut, Balsamic Caramelized onion, Sriracha Mayo sandwich got shared by MFA, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and VegNews!
For More Daals, Lentil Stews, Bean curries see here.
Recipe Card
Ethiopian Split Pea stew - Kik Alicha. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe
This Ethiopian Kik Alicha - Split Pea stew is a simple warm stew with just 6 ingredients. Serve with Injera, flatbread or rice.. Vegan Gluten-free
Servings: 2
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (36.25 g) dry split yellow peas soak overnight or 2 hours
- 1/4 cup (36.25 g) dry split green peas soak overnight or 2 hours
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 (0.5) red onion chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 1/3 teaspoon (0.33 teaspoon) turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt or to taste
- black pepper to taste
Variations
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon berbere spice blend for a spicier Wat version
- Add a chopped Serrano pepper.
Instructions
- Soak the split peas overnight or at least 2 hours in warm water, drain and rinse.
- In a deep pan, add oil, add onions, ginger and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent.(add chopped Serrano or Jalapeno if using)
- Add the turmeric and mix well.
- Add rinsed split peas, salt, pepper and water. Mix, cover and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for 35-45 minutes or until peas have softened to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and spice if needed.
- Or use a Pressure cooker: Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high and then on low for 15 minutes. ( Pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes after the pressure is reached for electric pressure cooker, then natural release). The pictures are of the pressure cooked stew.
- Mash the peas if desired. Add some lemon juice if desired and serve. Tastes best with a sour flat bread like Injera.
Notes
Nutritional facts based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Ethiopian Split Pea stew - Kik Alicha. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226
Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Sodium 600mg26%
Potassium 547mg16%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 13g54%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 75IU2%
Vitamin C 4.8mg6%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This infographic is from Vegucated. Here is also a nice article by the team to help transition to a plant based diet.
Where do we get our Calcium..
If you havent watched Vegucated yet.. Please watch the trailer and find a Screening here or watch it on Netflix. Have a wonderful week everyone.
David Steven Rappoport
I liked this recipe. The stew was flavorful and easy to make. It was excellent served with rice. I recommend using the optional jalapeno or serrano pepper as otherwise I fear the stew might be too bland.
Vegan Richa Support
🙂 so glad you enjoyed and thank you for the suggestion to others!
Carly
I was looking for a Kik Alicha recipe after a friend shared some with me from a local Ethiopian restaurant. It was so incredibly easy to make. I’ve made it twice, always doubling the recipe because it gets devoured. When doubling the recipe, I use a 1/2 cup less liquid because I like my Kik Alicha a little thicker. I also used vegetable stock instead of water and it added another layer of depth to the dish. I brought some for my friend to try and she said it tastes exactly like the Kik Alicha from her favorite restaurant. I never write reviews, but I had to write one because this recipe is THAT good.
Vegan Richa Support
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Carly!
Marcy Greenhut
Richa, I would love to add potatoes, carrots, cabbage and perhaps celery to this recipe. Would this fit in well, and if so, when and how should I cooked these added veggies?
Richa
Add them halfway through cooking and add more spices and salt
MJ
Hi, Could you use red lentils for this?
Richa
Yes it will need less time to cook
anya
Thank you so much, nice to see such a post to write such a beautiful post, and when I saw this post of yours, I was very happy to see its design and when I read it, I love to appreciate it. Because those who write such a beautiful post must get credit for it.
Tom
My partner and I make this recipe at least once a month. It’s an incredible recipe. We eat it with wheat berries and roasted cauliflower. Can’t wait for your instant pot cook book!
Vegan Richa Support
I’m excited for you both! thank you, Tom
Rachel MacDonald
That sounds delicious! This recipe sounds delicious and reminds me of the dahl my Mom makes. It’s Trinidadian and she chunkkays it – she fries the garlic and geera separately and then adds it to the dahl at the end. Sooo good!!! It’s funny because Richa’s name is close to mine, Rachel, and she looks like she could be my sister 😀 Richa I don’t know how to comment to you, directly! But Tom, I thought your idea of the wheat berries and cauliflower sounded great!!!
Vegan Richa Support
nostalgic
Lesley
This was super yummy! We found it a bit watery, though. We cooked it in the instant pot. Should we’ve adjusted the quantity of water for a pressure cooker?
Vegan Richa Support
yes, thank you
Deb Henderson
Hi Richa,
I only have chana dal (no split peas) at home — but I do have a great Indian market very close by. Should I make a special trip to the market for peas or can I just substitute chana dal in this Kik Alicha recipe?
Richa
Yes that will work
Lauren
Read through the recipe a few times so I’m not sure if I’m missing it or not. Do the instructions mention when to add the cloves and the berbere?
Vegan Richa Support
if you want to include the berbere or cloves (spice) just add in step 3 with the turmeric
Sonal
Hi can you please tell me what is yellow split peas? Is it toor dal/ yellow moong dal or the peas used to make Ragda? Thanks.
Vegan Richa Support
Hi Sonal – yes it’s the same ones you would use for toor dal and can be seen here on the photo 2nd row up from the bottom of my Indian Dals Names article: Indian Dals Names. Moong dal peas are similar but not exactly the same as split peas. Ragda typically uses white peas.
Eleni
An utterly delicious and flavorful recipe which is relatively simple to make! I highly recommend adding Berbere spice for an extra kick.
It’s become a staple in our household, which I tend to make in large batches so we have more of it. Thank you for the excellent recipe!
Richa
awesome!thanks
Kerri
I love this recipe & I make it all the time! Perfect meal to eat when sick
Richa
yay
Maddie
Made this using all yellow peas and a white onion and it was delicious! Made in the pressure cooker, I didn’t sautee the veggies first, just added it all in and cooked for 10 mins with natural release (oil free and it didn’t stick). Will be making this again!
Elise Yuan
SO DELICIOUS, thank you!!!! Just made it today and was so thrilled with the result!
Vickie Fisher
Hi, dear Richa, you are a gal after my own heart! My favorite cuisine is Indian, and I have been falling in love with vegan Ethiopian food lately. I visited a bistro up in Gainesville recently, called Civilization, and I had the Ethiopian plate they offer, completely vegan. I loved the bread they served. It wasn’t that sour, but it was fluffy and dark and delicious. I recently got some teff flour. Gotta study more! I can’t get my head around fermenting something for three days, as it seems a bit scary. I can see fermenting something overnight, though. Smiles!
Richa
Yes, ethiopian restaurants generally have veggie plates which are vegan. The Injera bread is amazing indeed. i’ve made it twice since i posted this post. it takes 3 to 4 days and comes out really well. We have quite some ethiopian restaurants close by, so we just pick the bread up when needed 🙂 You can find a reipe fro the bread and many more amazing stews and dishes in Teff Love cookbook. Its a vegan ethiopian cookbook
Vickie Fisher
Dear Richa, you are a gal after my own heart! My favorite cuisine is Indian, but I have been falling in love with vegan Ethiopian food lately. I visited a bistro called “Civilization” in Gainesville, and they had an Ethiopian plate, all vegan. The bread was something! I don’t think it was fermented very long, as it wasn’t sour. But it was fluffy and dark and delicious. Just acquired some actual teff flour. I gotta study more! (Like you, I don’t think I want to ferment anything for three days; sounds a bit scary!) Overnight, maybe. Smiles!
Helena Augustine
As an avid Ethiopian food fan since about 1999 when I first tried Axum in SF its been my favorite! This is a great recipe and tastes authentic. Thanks so much for sharing.
Steve Proctor
I’ve made this a couple of ti,mes for my family and it’s a huge hit. Thank you for publishing the recipe.
I hate commentators that say “it was great after I added/changed….”, but I’m going to be that guy. I added fresh mushrooms, portobellos because that what my son brought back from the store. It gave the stew a little extra heartiness and richness.
Jennifer
Hello! How would you modify these instructions for an Instant Pot, which doesn’t have a “1 whistle” setting?: “Or use a Pressure cooker: Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.”
Richa
Cook them for the time you use for split peas. 7 to 8 minutes Manual on high pressure and natural release.
Ira Kravitz
I made my first batch and it was AWESOME! For some reason I had to cook for almost an hour and I think the peas could still have been softer. Also, I couldn’t find yellow so made it just with green. Thank you again! Oh.. made it oil free per your instructions. I don’t think this needs oil.
Richa
Awesome! split peas can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to cook depending on the batch. Fresher splitpeas cook faster.
Ira Kravitz
Is is possible to make this oil free?
Richa
yes. saute the onion garlic in a bit of broth and continue
Sarah
I worked in an Ethiopian restaurant in Ann Arbor, MI for six years. This is their Ethiopian food cook book:
https://www.bluenilemi.com/bluenile/28/content.html
Christine
i am making this today and I am. It using a pressure cooker. It is not working out so I think a pressure cooker is the key. Plus it isn’t as yellow as the picture. Not sure why.
But I did make the jalapeño cheddar biscuits and they were good.
Richa
Hi Christine, i probably clicked the pictures when I made it with all yellow split peas. Also the turmeric matters. sometimes it adds a lot more color. Are you using a pressure cooker? Split peas are notorious in terms of cooking times as you never know how old they are. The older split peas take really long to cook, sometimes hours in a saucepan, so pressure cooker is the best option as even really old split peas will cook in almost the same time in a pressure cooker.
Leela
I’m wondering if you have an home made berbere recipe you like. I have most of the ingredients listed on the list from most of the sites but was wondering if you’ve ventured into making your own.
Richa
no, i havent made a berbere blend at home. Often not having the blend or seasoned oil stops me from making the food. i find it easier to use the whole spices directly as I dont cook Ethiopian often, which needs to be corrected. 🙂
Candice
Looks delicious. I’ve only decently had the oppurtunity to try Ethiopian food, on vacation, and I loved it. I just wanted to point out for some reason it lists eggs and dairy in this recipe under allergy warnings. As a fellow vegan and a fan of your work, I wanted to make you aware so people don’t mistakenly turn away from this recipe 🙂
Richa
thanks candice! its dairy, egg, gluten , free. Changed the wording to- free of dairy, egg, gluten and other allergens.
Jane Calhoun
I would love to try this recipe but I don’t have a pressure cooker. Will it still turn out without that step? and do I just cook longer?
Richa
it is either or. Cook covered in a deep pan for 45 minutes or pressure cook for upto 20 minutes.
updated the instructions so they are clear.
Vivienne
Can you add any vegetables to the dish itself? Spring onions, mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini/courgette, cauliflower? Any of them suit?
Vivienne
Are there any vegetable side dishes you would recommend to compliment this meal → just to boost the veg intake 🙂
Richa
Try the ethiopian cabbage, or any of my other cabbage or cauliflower sides recipes.
https://www.veganricha.com/?s=cabbage
Kari Whitney
I can’t wait to try this recipe out! If my family and I could eat Ethiopian food everyday we would. I’ve tried hard to find great recipes on line and also in different cookbooks and it’s hard – the books that are out there tend to be meat heavy. Looking forward to trying this!
Pkd99
I was looking for a new Kik Alicha recipe and found this one. It was SO good – and is my new favorite. I doubled the recipe, and used only yellow split peas as that is what I had. I did not presoak them. Used a little less than 3 cups water. After sauteing onion, garlic and ginger, added 1 Tbs berbere (love this!) and turmeric….then simmered until done. The extra garlic – more than I usually use – is great. Also the red onion. Delicious; thank you.
vivagypsy
This Looks So Very Delicious!!! I am Licking the page!!! Love and Hugs Viv from Vivagypsy Rocks Vegan and Gluten-Free…
Hannah
Oh man, could I use a giant vat of this or what? It’s so cold! I might have to double or triple the recipe, at least.
The Peace Patch
Thanks for sharing this…it looks superdelicious!
Kittee’s cookbook is excellent! There’s a really helpful run-down of Ethiopian cookbooks here:
https://ethiopianfood.wordpress.com/cookbooks/
BTW I voted for you for “Best Food Photography on a Blog” at The Kitchn “The Homies 2013”
https://www.thekitchn.com/best-food-photography-on-a-blog-the-homies-2013-183569Voting ends tonight!
Cheers!
Kristy
This looks so good and soothing right about now- I just want that whole bowl all to myself!
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
I totally need this on a day like to day- it is so snowy and cold on the east coast this weekend! CONGRATS on the mini sliders, it is well deserved, I was so excited to see them on VegNews!!!!
ella@lifeologia
Yum, such comfort food on that plate! 😉
Looks awesome Richa. xo
ps.There’s a Potluck Party with Recipes for Valentine’s Day happening :
https://www.lifeologia.com/potluck-party-recipes-for-valentines-day-gluten-free-vegan/
Hope you can make it ;))
Subhie Arun
wow v innovative n healthy..frst time here..love ur collections..hapi to follow u ..glad if u od the same..!!
https://subhieskitchen.blogspot.co.uk
Veena Theagarajan
yummy and healthy plate
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Sandya
Your recipe on Ethiopian split pea stew looks great. I would definitely like to try this out. Thanks for the recipe.
Sveta Karelsky
This is a super easy and yummy kik alicha recipe! I used a dutch oven.
VeganFling
I need to make more dishes with split peas – yours looks so good! Can’t wait to see more Ethiopian food too. 🙂
janet @ the taste space
I love Ethiopian cuisine, too. I have a few recipes on my blog but kik alicha is definitely my favourite, although not what most people associate with Ethiopian since it isn’t spicy. I look forward to seeing what else you make. 🙂
Chef Amber Shea
This looks outrageously good. I wouldn’t even need the rice…just a spoon! I adore Ethiopian food.
Richa
Thanks Amber! i love this with the sour Injera so much!!
Caitlin
oh richa, i am so excited for your ethiopian recipes! i tried a few over a year ago and wasn’t a huge fan. i’ve always wanted to try authentic ethiopian food at a restaurant but haven’t gotten a chance to go(they are located in a very sketchy area in philly). i look forward to more stews and injera((!!!) and cooking them all up and eating them by hand 😉
Richa
Thanks Miss C:) we eat indian food by hand every day:) You should order some berbere online.. that spice blend is addictive.. not too hot but very flavorful:))
Alli
Replying to Caitlin:
I came here to cook this, and while it’s simmering I thought I’d respond to your totally clueless/possibly racist statement about the vibrant Ethiopian culture in Philly. I don’t know where you moved from that you think West Philadelphia (where the vast majority of Ethiopian restaurants are located) is too “sketchy” to visit. It has a legacy of Ethiopian and black cultural cuisine, and there are literally 10 Ethio restaurants within a 10 block radius so I’m not sure how all of them can be sketchy… Get out of your University City, Queen Village or Fishtown bubble (cause you’ve gotta be from somewhere bougie) and visit a new place. You definitely need the education.
Cadry's Kitchen
This sounds so completely fabulous! I can’t wait to hear how your injera trials go! I’ve tried a couple of injera recipes, but I’m eager to try your method when you’ve got it finalized. You know your way around bread, that’s for sure!
Richa
Thanks Cadry! I dont know if i will ferment the injera batter for days.. but lets hope they come out good:))
Cadry's Kitchen
I’ve never followed one of the fermentation recipes. That’s a lot of dedication for a dinner!