Learn how to make tasty Ethiopian fossolia, a delicious green beans and carrots recipe. Fossolia is simple to make and easy to love.
In Middle Eastern countries, the word “fossolia” can either be used generically to refer to all kinds of beans, or it can also refer specifically to green beans. Many bean dishes throughout the Middle East are warm stews. The adopted version of this dish, for Ethiopians, “fossolia” usually refers to a stir fry of green beans, carrots, and sometimes potatoes.
Fossolia is one of my favorite side dishes! But in Ethiopia, you don’t always see it on the menu at restaurants. This is because green beans are not always available in markets. But when they are available, they are always a favorite choice for cooking.
I love to eat the Ethiopian stir fried version of fossolia especially in the summer. It’s the perfect time here in the United States when green beans are fresh off the vines and in farmer’s markets. In the winter, it can also be transformed into a wintry comfort food by adding a little bit of tomato sauce and some spices to turn it in to a stew.
The natural sweetness of the carrot gives a nice contrast to the earthiness of the green beans and softens the sharpness of ginger. Like so many Ethiopian dishes, fossolia is very easy to customize based on your desired texture, spice level, and available ingredients. Try it out a few different ways to see what you like best!
Recipe for Fossolia (Ethiopian Green Beans and Carrots)
Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, cut lengthwise 3 tablespoons oil (your choice) 4 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 4 cups green beans, trimmed and cut in half 4 cups carrots, 2-inch carrot sticks or baby carrots cut in half Optional: 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges Salt to taste
Instructions:
Put the onions in a medium skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes on a medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and ginger. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the carrots and 1/4 cup of water. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the green beans and stir to combine. Continue adding water as needed to avoid sticking. Let the vegetables cook for another 25 minutes, or until beans and carrots are soft. Add salt to taste.
Tip:
I teach this dish in one of my cooking classes, and I notice my students here prefer their carrots and green beans a little crunchy (whereas in Ethiopia we tend to cook the vegetables until they are very soft). So, when you cook this dish, taste throughout to get it to your desired doneness.
Note:
If you do add potatoes, you would want to add them after the green beans, when there’s about 15 minutes left.
Offer:
I hope you enjoy exploring all the ways to make this traditional Ethiopian veggie dish taste just how you want it! For more tasty recipes and helpful tips, sign up for our newsletter. You’ll also receive a coupon to use in our store!
A little about me: Are you interested learning about cooking Ethiopian food? if so, I would love to share with you some of the Ethiopian dishes I cook at home. My name is Eleni. I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I came to the United States about 19 years ago. I live with my husband and two kids (ages 10 and 12) in the beautiful state of Oregon, near Portland. I am a caterer, food instructor and a farmer’s market vendor – and everything I do is exclusively related to Ethiopian food. Now I’ve created this blog to share recipes, tips, and ingredients to make it easy for you to prepare Ethiopian food at home.