Sega (beef) wat (stew) is an Ethiopian dish. The depth and complexity is superb; rich and earthy and quite delicious. There are two versions, alicha (mild) and key (spicy), the difference being down to the spice blend, berbere, an Amharic word meaning ‘pepper’ or ‘hot’.

Berbere originates from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Aksumites traded spices such as black peppercorns, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and turmeric with China. Like many spice blends there is no single standard recipe for berbere but usually includes these spices plus red chilli, fenugreek, coriander and allspice.

Onions are slowly cooked in nit’ir qibe (niter kibbeh), an Ethiopian spiced, clarified butter that is infused with herbs and local spices, besobela, kosseret and korarima (false or Ethiopian cardamom). As the ingredients are hard to find and as the berbere gives this dish one heck of a punch, ghee can be used instead.

It is traditionally served with injera which is a fermented flatbread made from teff flour. Teff is one of the earliest domesticated plants having its origin in Ethiopia and Eritrea between 4000 and 1000 BCE. It is expensive as it can only be grown in areas with a decent amount of rainfall. Traditionally a clay plate called a mitad is placed over a fire to bake the injera. It develops a porous and slightly spongy texture ideal for picking up the stew and mopping up any leftover sauce. Although sour in flavour, it marries well with the stew #February2026