How to Cook with Turmeric Sauce

June 3, 2020 Eleni Woldeyes

Turmeric sauce is a delicious staple of Ethiopian cooking with endless uses. Learn how to make it and create easy, flavorful dishes.

If you’ve ever wondered how to cook Ethiopian food at home, the sauces are a good place to start. Even though cooking Ethiopian foods might seem daunting, it’s not. When you look at the variety of the stews in Ethiopian restaurants, you know, the big platter with many dishes on top of the injera (flat bread), and if you think about making all those dishes it may seem overwhelming. The truth is many of those stews are made with similar base sauces.

One of the most common Ethiopian sauces is Alicha Kulet, or turmeric sauce. Alicha means “mild” and kulet is “sauce.” Unlike red pepper sauces made with the Ethiopian chili known as berbere, turmeric sauce isn’t spicy – making it an excellent entry point into Ethiopian food.

It’s so mild and attractive to the palate that children like it. As a child in Ethiopia, when we were given the choice, I remember asking for it over the red pepper sauce: “I want the bicha (yellow).” You can’t miss its bright yellow color when the platter of dishes is brought to you!

This sauce is a delicious staple of vegan Ethiopian cooking. Alicha kulet is common on tables during fasting season, Lent, and throughout the year on fasting days when we eat only vegan food. The savory sauce can be used as the base of a simmered stew or soup, as a burst of extra flavor in a stir fry, or as a deep flavor in slow-cooker meals.

Made from a collection of common aromatic ingredients, turmeric sauce is an easy way to add excitement and character to any basic protein. My favorite recipe to share with new cooks of Ethiopian food is Kik Alicha, or yellow split pea stew made with turmeric sauce. It’s also a great recipe because it’s easy to swap in different proteins – ground beef is a common choice for people who eat meat – and to serve with different sides such as potatoes.

Recipe for Yellow Split Pea Stew (Atir Kik Alicha)

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, minced     ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or any other oil)

1 teaspoon turmeric               4 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)

2 teaspoons minced ginger         2 cups yellow split peas

Water                             Salt, to taste

Instructions:

Put the onions in a medium skillet and cook until soft about 5 minutes, on a medium heat. Add the oil, cook for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric and cook for 3 minutes, stir occasionally. Add 2 cups of water and split peas, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add additional 3 more cups of water and cook for another 30 minutes or until the split peas are done. Add more water if needed. Add salt to taste.

Yields 4-6 servings.

Tip:

You can soak the yellow split peas for 2 hours before cooking, to shorten the cooking time. Presoaking legumes also makes beans easier to digest. If you presoak the yellow split peas, reduce the water by ½ to 1 cup.

Note:

The Ethiopian way to prepare Atir Kik Alicha (yellow split pea stew) is to cook it until the peas are very soft and mushy. In the United States, many people like their legumes a little firmer. If that describes you, begin testing for doneness after 15-20 minutes of cooking.