The short answer
Shiro is a smooth, savoury, spiced stew from Ethiopia and Eritrea, made from ground chickpeas, or other pulses such as broad beans, cooked with onions, garlic, spices and often the spice blend berbere. The ground pulse flour, called shiro powder, is stirred into a simmering base until it thickens into a creamy, smooth stew with no chunks. It is deeply comforting, rich in flavour and protein, and it is a staple of everyday Ethiopian eating, especially important as a filling dish during the many fasting periods when animal products are avoided, since it is naturally vegan. It is eaten with injera, the spongy flatbread, scooped up by hand. In the UK shiro powder and the spices are sold by African food shops.
What to remember
- Shiro is a smooth, spiced Ethiopian and Eritrean stew made from ground chickpeas or other pulses.
- The ground pulse flour, shiro powder, is stirred into a base until it thickens into a creamy, smooth stew.
- It is cooked with onions, garlic, spices and often berbere, and is rich in flavour and protein.
- It is naturally vegan and especially important during Ethiopian fasting periods.
- It is eaten with injera, scooped up by hand, and shiro powder is sold by African food shops.
For Ethiopians and Eritreans in Britain, shiro is everyday comfort and home. It is the smooth, spiced stew scooped up with injera, the reliable, nourishing dish made countless times at home, the food that sustains through fasting and gathers the family for a shared platter. It carries the memory of home kitchens and the smell of berbere and simmering shiro, of communal meals eaten with the hands, and making it far from home brings that deep sense of belonging and comfort straight back.
There is heritage in it too, and a quiet resourcefulness. Shiro reflects a long tradition of turning humble pulses into a rich, satisfying, spiced dish, and of a food culture shaped by fasting that produced some of the world's most beloved plant-based cooking. Making shiro for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to that smooth, comforting stew scooped up with injera, is an act of welcome and belonging. That warming, nourishing taste of home is the quiet gift of shiro.
What is shiro?
Shiro is one of the most beloved everyday dishes of Ethiopia and Eritrea, a smooth, thick, spiced stew made from ground pulses, most often chickpeas. What defines shiro is its texture: rather than whole beans, it uses a flour made from the ground, often roasted, pulses, called shiro powder, which is stirred into a cooked base of onions, garlic and oil until it thickens into a completely smooth, creamy, lump-free stew. The result is savoury, warming and satisfying, with a rich flavour that comes from the pulses and the spices.
Shiro is genuinely everyday food, the kind of dish eaten regularly at home across Ethiopia and Eritrea, valued for being nourishing, affordable and quick to make from the ready-ground powder. It is also deeply comforting, the sort of meal people love and turn to often. Its smooth texture and rich, spiced taste make it a favourite, and it is a wonderful introduction to Ethiopian food for newcomers. It belongs to the wider world of Ethiopian cooking we cover in our guide to Ethiopian food, and it is always eaten with injera.
The spiced chickpea flour
The heart of shiro is the shiro powder, and understanding it is key. This is a flour made by grinding pulses, usually chickpeas, and sometimes broad beans or a mix, often after roasting them, and it is frequently blended with spices, so the powder itself carries much of the dish's flavour. Different shiro powders exist, some plain, some already mixed with berbere and other spices, so the exact seasoning depends on the powder as well as what is added during cooking. This ready-ground, sometimes pre-spiced flour is what makes shiro so quick to prepare.
To make the stew, onions, garlic and often ginger are cooked in oil to build a base, spices including berbere and others are added, and then the shiro powder is whisked in with water or stock and simmered, stirred until it thickens into the smooth stew. Some versions are made richer with a little more oil or with a spiced clarified butter, and some are made hotter with more berbere. The pulse flour gives shiro its protein, its body and its comforting creaminess, and the spices give it depth, so the powder really is the foundation of the whole dish. You can read about the spice blend in our guide to berbere.
Shiro and fasting
An important part of understanding shiro is its role in Ethiopian and Eritrean fasting traditions. Many Ethiopians and Eritreans follow Orthodox Christian fasting periods, which are numerous and can cover a large part of the year, during which animal products, meat and dairy, are avoided. During these times, plant-based dishes become central to eating, and shiro, being made from pulses and naturally vegan when made with oil rather than butter, is one of the most important and beloved fasting foods.
This gives shiro a special place: it is not just an everyday stew but a dish that sustains people nutritiously through fasting periods, providing protein and comfort when meat is off the table. It is often part of a fasting platter of several vegan dishes served together on injera. This role has also made shiro naturally appealing to vegans and vegetarians beyond Ethiopia, since it is a genuinely delicious, protein-rich plant-based dish with a long tradition behind it. Its versatility, satisfying whether you eat meat or not, is a big part of why it is so widely loved.
How is shiro eaten?
Like other Ethiopian dishes, shiro is eaten with injera, the large, soft, spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff, which you can read about in our guides to injera and teff. The shiro is served in a mound or bowl on or alongside the injera, and diners tear off pieces of the bread and use them to scoop up the smooth stew, eating with the hands. The mild, tangy injera and the rich, spiced shiro are a perfect match, and no cutlery is needed.
Shiro can be a meal on its own with injera, and it is also frequently part of a larger spread. On a shared Ethiopian platter, several dishes are arranged together on a big round of injera, and shiro is very often one of them, alongside other stews and vegetables, especially on a vegan or fasting platter. Eating this way, sharing from a communal platter and scooping with injera, is central to Ethiopian dining, and shiro, smooth and comforting, is one of the dishes people reach for again and again. It is simple, sociable, satisfying food.
Where to buy shiro in the UK
Making shiro at home in Britain is very achievable, largely thanks to ready-made shiro powder, which is sold by African food shops that serve Ethiopian and Eritrean communities. You will find shiro powder, sometimes plain and sometimes already spiced with berbere, which is the key ingredient and makes the dish quick to prepare, along with berbere itself, spiced clarified butter and the other spices you might want. These shops are also the place to buy or learn about the injera to serve with it.
If you are new to shiro, the shopkeeper can point you to a good shiro powder and to the berbere, and advise whether the powder is already spiced. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you. If you would rather taste it first, shiro is on the menu at Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants, often as part of a shared platter on injera, and it is one of the friendliest dishes for a first taste of the cuisine.
Frequently asked questions
What is shiro?
Shiro is a smooth, savoury, spiced stew from Ethiopia and Eritrea, made from ground chickpeas or other pulses. The ground pulse flour, shiro powder, is stirred into a cooked base of onions, garlic and spices, often including berbere, until it thickens into a creamy, smooth, lump-free stew. It is rich in flavour and protein and eaten with injera.
What is shiro made from?
Shiro powder, a flour made by grinding pulses, usually chickpeas and sometimes broad beans, often after roasting and frequently blended with spices. This is cooked with onions, garlic, oil and spices including berbere. The ready-ground, sometimes pre-spiced powder gives shiro its protein, creamy body and quick preparation.
Is shiro vegan?
It can be, and often is. Made with oil rather than butter, shiro is naturally vegan, which is why it is one of the most important dishes during Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox fasting periods, when animal products are avoided. Some richer versions use spiced clarified butter, so those avoiding dairy should check how a particular shiro is made.
Why is shiro important for fasting?
Because many Ethiopians and Eritreans observe numerous Orthodox Christian fasts during which meat and dairy are avoided, and shiro, made from pulses and naturally vegan when made with oil, is a nourishing, protein-rich dish that sustains people through these periods. It is often part of a fasting platter of several vegan dishes on injera.
Where can I buy shiro in the UK?
African food shops that serve Ethiopian and Eritrean communities sell shiro powder, sometimes plain and sometimes already spiced with berbere, along with berbere, spiced clarified butter and the injera to serve with it. The shopkeeper can point you to a good shiro powder and advise whether it is pre-spiced. Ethiopian restaurants also serve it. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.
