If you are vegan, Ethiopian food might be one of the best-kept secrets in Melbourne. Many of its most loved dishes are fully plant-based, and they are not side dishes or substitutes. They are the main event.
Why so much Ethiopian food is vegan
Many Ethiopians who follow the Orthodox Christian faith fast from all animal products on Wednesdays and Fridays, and for longer seasons through the year, including the weeks before Easter. Over centuries, this tradition of fasting food, called yetsom, produced a rich collection of vegan dishes that are full of flavour and made to be shared.
The classic vegan stews
- Misir wot: red lentils simmered with berbere, a red chilli spice blend. Rich and spicy.
- Kik alicha: yellow split peas cooked gently with turmeric, garlic and ginger. Mild and comforting.
- Gomen: greens cooked slowly with garlic and onion.
- Key sir: beetroot cooked until sweet and tender.
- Atkilt: a mild mix of vegetables such as carrot and potato.
Served together on injera, these stews make a platter often called beyaynetu, which simply means "a bit of each".
Vegan at Sinq
Our Sinq Vegan Platter is our most loved dish: six vegan stews (spicy red lentils, yellow split peas, green lentils, spinach, carrot and potato, and beetroot) with a fresh tomato salad on a full 100% teff injera. Our vegan stews are cooked in vegetable stock and kept separate from our meat dishes.
Because our whole kitchen is gluten-free and our injera is made from nothing but teff flour and water, the platter is both vegan and gluten-free. You can also try a single stew with injera, our smashed tahini ful, or ask for kategna made with olive oil instead of ghee.
Come in with a group, order a platter, and share it the way it is meant to be eaten.