There are fewer than a dozen Ethiopian restaurants in Chicago, but NBC 5's Food Guy Steve Dolinsky is especially fond of one in Uptown.
His reasons are two-fold: first, the food, which he says is remarkable, as everything is made from scratch. But second, is the owner’s commitment to fundraising for her fellow countrymen, embroiled in a war back home.
The war in Ukraine may dominate the news, but there’s another struggle going on, being felt by Chicago’s Ethiopian community. The names of the dishes may be unfamiliar, but for the last 15 years, one woman has been working to educate her guests, while also doing everything she can to help raise money for her war-torn homeland.
At the 15 year-old Demera Restaurant in Uptown – where they make injera every day in batches – they’re constantly rotating buckets of batter depending on how long the teff - or flour - has been fermenting.
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Any discussion of Ethiopian food must begin with injera, Dolinsky said. The spongy, fermented flatbread is a pillar of the cuisine.
“We can’t eat without it. Actually everything we do from breakfast to dinner we eat injera. It’s a small cereal grain – teff – naturally gluten-free, high in fiber and calcium,” said owner Tigist Reda.
Reda also uses an arsenal of spices. Not just the well-known berbere, but also cardamom, cloves and about a dozen others like awaze.
The Food Guy
“Awaze is kind of berbere but spicier. It’s made into a paste and mitmita is like a little orange chile,” she said.
Both are used in a seafood dish with tomatoes and onions, cooked down with fresh rosemary.
“We call it Ye-Asa Leb Leb – fish cooked really fast.”
Mitmita and black pepper are added to clarified butter to form the base of Kitfo – a kind of beef tartare that finds its way onto several of the colorful, injera-based platters, as does the well-known Doro Wat.
“Doro Wat is I would say national dish almost. The base is onion, garlic, ginger and then chicken and hard-boiled egg,” said Reda.
The cuisine accommodates gluten free and vegetarians. You’ll see gomen, or collard greens, as often as you’ll see farmer’s cheese or stewed red lentils. To eat, you simply tear off a piece of injera, then grab a bite of food with it. No utensils necessary.
Reda’s other passion has been fundraising.
“I come from Tigray; that’s where the war is,” she said.
Last month, as part of a “Chicago Chefs Cook for Tigray” event, they raised over a hundred thousand dollars.
“The money goes to the refugee camps in Sudan as well as food and medicine inside Tigray with our partners working there.”
Even at the restaurant, she’ll host dinners to raise awareness – and money – for a cause that’s close to her heart.
“I do a dinner every month to just fundraise and support people,” Reda said.
Tigist has plans for another big fundraiser next month.
Here's where you can go:
4801 N. Broadway
773-334-8787
