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Zilzil Alecha

Ethiopian dish of sirloin strips browned in butter and simmered in a sauce of pureed green peppers, ginger, garlic and spices.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Turmeric and cardamom match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 667 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Zilzil Alecha

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the puree and meat

  1. Coarsely chop two of the bell peppers.

  2. Combine these with the chiles, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, salt, white pepper and wine in a blender.

  3. Process until the mixture is a smooth puree.

  4. Cut the remaining bell pepper into 2" x 1/2" strips.

  5. Set the pepper strips aside.

  6. Trim all fat from the meat and slice it 1/2" thick.

  7. Cut the slices into strips 2" long by 1/4" wide.

Brown the meat

  1. Heat 1/2 cup butter or niter kebbeh in a heavy 10" to 12" skillet until a drop of water dances.

  2. Brown the meat in the skillet, a little at a time, turning often, until evenly browned without burning.

  3. Transfer the meat to a plate as it is browned.

  4. When all meat is browned, pour the remaining fat into a measuring cup.

  5. Add enough additional butter or niter kebbeh to measure 1/2 cup.

  6. Set the fat aside.

  7. Wash and dry the skillet.

Cook the stew

  1. Add the onions and cook them over low heat until soft and dry, about five minutes.

  2. Stir the onions continuously to keep them from burning.

  3. Pour in the 1/2 cup cooking fat.

  4. When it begins to sputter, add the green pepper strips.

  5. Cook two to three minutes, stirring continuously, until the pepper strips are soft.

  6. Add the pureed green pepper mixture.

  7. While stirring, heat to a boil.

  8. Add the beef strips and any liquid accumulated on the plate to the skillet.

  9. Stir into the sauce to coat the meat evenly.

  10. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the meat is cooked to taste.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

229Calories
3 gProtein
12 gFat
22 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Turmeric1 tsp ground (3g)9
Cardamom1 tsp ground (2g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Turmeric + cardamomtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together667 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  2. Ginger + turmerictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,776 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Ginger + cardamomtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,114 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  5. Pepper + turmerictop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,478 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sirloin beef
Provides the main meat; browning builds savory flavor on its surface before simmering.
Butter or niter kebbeh
Carries heat for browning and adds richness and a fat-based aroma to the sauce.
Onion
Cooked down until soft and dry, it adds sweetness and body to the sauce.
Green bell pepper
Pureed and sliced, it adds fresh vegetable body and a mild, grassy flavor to the sauce.
Chiles serranos
Add the main heat and sharp, fresh pepper flavor to the stew.
Dry wine
Adds acidity and depth to the pepper puree that helps balance the rich fat.

The step that matters

Browning the meat in batches. Browning relies on the Maillard reaction, which needs direct contact with hot fat. Crowding the skillet lowers its temperature and makes the meat steam, so it turns grey instead of developing deep flavor.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, wine, butter):

  1. Shallotfits better
  2. Carrotfits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, wine, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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