Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant, Vegan Austin Texas

You know how vegans have unusual habits like checking out what vegan things are to be had at Whole Foods Markets that are not their own? I do the same with Ethiopian food.

 

Because of this propensity for Ethiopian food tourism, I stopped at Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant when I was in Austin traveling with fellow fans of Ethiopian eats.


As is typical of Ethiopian restaurants, you can choose an entree and three sides from the vegetarian (vegan/fasting) menu.


Or, you can put on your big girl pants and order the Atakelt Beyaynetu (vegetable combination) that is a sample of all of the vegetarian dishes and may or may not be intended for two to share. You can do it!


Clockwise from top:
Azifa: these mixed lentils with onion, gree peppers, mit'mit'a, fresh lemon juice and a touch of olive oil and vinegar (served cold)
Timatim Fitfit: Ethiopian mixed salad with diced tomatoes, green peppers, onion, and diced injera topped with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and spices (served cold)
Bedergan: eggplant spiced and prepared with tomato sauce, garlic, onions, and special Ethiopian seasoning.
Alicha Miser: split lentil cooked to perfection with ginger and garlic
Gomen: Ethiopian style collard greens cooked with onion, garlic, and spices
Fasolia Wott: potato, green beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes with garlic, cinnamon, and ginger sauce
Keyi Miser: split lentils cooked with berbere, onions, cooked to perfection with other Ethiopian spices
Atakelt Wott: fresh cabbage, green beans, carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger in a zesty turmeric sauce
In case you're counting, there was one extra thing on the plate that was not listed. I'm not one to turn down extra grub- particularly when it contains potatoes, but I don't know what exactly it was- didn't then and certainly don't remember now.

I won't say that this was the best Ethiopian food I've ever had the pleasure of consuming, nor did the resto have the nattiest atmosphere. But, the servers were very kind, they had Ethiopian spices for sale, AND one of the beverage options was Dr. Pepper, which is a huge win in my book.

4 comments:

  1. It certainly looks pretty great. Love Ethiopian food. Can we get Kitty to write another cookbook so we can test recipes again?

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  2. Ah, there's nothing better than getting a bit of everything in an Ethiopian restaurant! I especially love all the lentil dishes.

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  3. It's been way too long since I've had Ethiopian food! I think it's even been since my wedding!

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