I don't know much, but I know I love you, Lalibela

lalibela
Originally uploaded by i_eat_ny.

I don't know much about Ethipian food, other than I love it. Whenever I go to Washington DC, I always try to eat at Lalibela Restaurant. It's my favorite place to go because the food is delicious, it's cheap and it's fast. Need I say more? I can tell you on the vegetarian sampler ($9), which is enough to share for two, there are greens, potatoes and carrots, yellow lentils, two kinds of red lentils, tomato and onion salad, braised cabbage and carrots, all served on and with the signature bread, injera. I had to consult the website ethiopianrestaurant.com to get the proper names and to tell me more about injera. It's really fascinating! Injera is a crepe-like bread that always reminds me of old lady skin. It's full of little holes from the fermentation process of the grain it's made of called teff. The bread has the tang of sourdough with a cool moistness that goes great with some of the more fiery sauces. I had no idea the proper way to hold the injera was to have the pores face the food, but it makes sense, the little holes absorb the sauces better.
Here are the proper names of the dishes pictured (I think!)starting with the greens then going clockwise. Unfortunately there were no descriptions of what the types of spices are used. But that's what makes it so yummy and mysterious. Also because languages get translated into different spellings, the names may not be the same. I was looking at different restaurant menus and they all spell things differently.

Gomen - collard green cooked to perfection with spices
Atkilt Salata - boiled potatoes, jalapeno mixed in salad dressing
Aterkik Alitcha - split peas prepared with light sauce
Shiro Alitcha - mild split peas are milled together & slow cooked or is it Shiro Wot?- split peas are milled together and slow cooked
Misir Wot - pureed split red lentil are simmered berbere sauce
Misir Alitcha - pureed split red lentil are simmered in mild sauce
(I'm not sure which one was spicy, but I think the chunkier one in the middle.)
Timatim Selata - tomatoe salad, onions, jalapeno & lemon juice
Atkilt Wot - cabbage, carrots, potatoes simmered in sauce

Well, whatever the stuff is called, it's really really good. Don't be turned off by the slightly odd texture of injera. It's different but terrific!
Lalibela
1415 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone (202) 265-5700
In NYC, there are a few Ethopian places, the ones that are downtown are: Awash #2 - 338 East 6th Street and Ghenet - 284 Mulberry St. If you want to try them with me, tell me. It's the kind of stuff you need to eat with friends.