If you are Abroad Which Is The Best Vegetarian Food

Which is the best Vegetarian Food abroad 

The Indian Tourists who are basically vegetarian or even those non-veg who compelled to be vegetarian abroad due to fear of dishes  made of beef or any other kind of bizarre meat , try to search an Indian food joint while traveling abroad . Chances are even if you find a Resturant serving your kind of stuff, you will hardly get your kind of taste and the food may cost fortune.

But in case you find an Ethiopian Restaurant, the chances are getting  good vegetarian food . Surprised ! The secret lies in the flooding habits of majority population over there. 

Nearly half of the population in Ethiopia consists of  Orthodox Christians and on the days they fast they eat only vegetarian food. Wednesdays and Fridays are essentially fasting days in every week. Fasting in this context doesn’t mean omitting food completely, instead it involves not consuming any animal products on fasting days. That translate into eating vegan two days a week.

In addition,  there are several other  major fasting periods for different occasions including The Advent Fast or the Nativity Fast which precedes Christmas and The Fast of Great Lent which precedes Easter, where one vegan meal is eaten per day for two months. There are also optional fasts such as The Fast of Puagumen in preparation for Ethiopian New Year. 

As a result, Ethiopian cuisine contains a multitude of vegan dishes, and you can usually find them on the menu of most Ethiopian restaurants throughout the year.

What you can find out on the platter in a typical vegetarian Ethiopian Thali? Injera is the staple of Ethiopians. It’s traditionally made from a grain called teff. The  flour is mixed with water and fermented for two to three days before being fried similar to a neer dosa, a pancake or crêpe. It’s very healthy as it is naturally gluten-free and rich in protein, calcium, fibre and iron. 

Typically, Injera is eaten with the right hand, torn into small pieces just like our roti and used as a utensil to scoop up delicious sauces and stews. Berbere is a distinctive seasoning blend used in Ethiopian cooking and is made from chilli peppers and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and paprika. Some of the most common vegan dishes you’ll find on an Ethiopian menu are : 

1. Shiro Wot , it is a stew made with roasted ground chickpeas, split peas and berbere. 

2. Misir Wot, it is also a kind of stew made with lentils. 

Another common dish found on an Ethiopian menu is Beyaynetu, which is a combination platter of vegan sauces and stews served on top of injera. These sauces often include a bounty of vegetables and legumes. Beyaynetu will almost always come with Shiro, Misir Wot and a variety of other things that might include: split yellow peas called Alicha: with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric, curried carrots, cabbage and potatoes called Atkilt Wot. Atkilt Salata is nothing but boiled potatoes, red beets and carrots in a dressing of lemon, jalapeno & spices . 

Another interesting item on an Ethiopian Thali is Timatim Salata made up of diced tomatoes, onions, and finely chopped hot peppers - typically seasoned with berbere, oil, vinegar and lemon juice. 

I had this great experience of Ethiopian food at Waterloo area in Central London , close to the river front. The owner of stall was an educated Ethiopian young boy who took his degree from an Engineering College in Banglore but preferred to run this food join rather than be a knowledge foot soldier.