Ethiopia to Indiana

I have to admit, I was rather skeptical when a friend suggested that I eat at “the Ethiopian restaurant” to review it. I had no idea what to expect from Ashenda’s Abasha Restaurant, which shares a building with Puccini’s La Dolce Vita.

When we walked into the big yellow house on Fourth Street, the host asked which side we wanted to sit on – Italian or Ethiopian – then led us into a room filled with pottery and tribal masks. Animal prints and traditional African instruments lined the walls. A large teapot and a hookah sat in the corner.

As the waitress brought water and took orders, I noticed she was wearing an atypical “uniform.” Later, my friend asked her about her garb, which she explained was an Ethiopian dress. Usually, the waitresses for the Ethiopian side wear some sort of traditional outfit, she explained.

We ordered a rather large amount of food, starting with an appetizer of yeshimbra assa, or chickpea balls with garlic, coriander and thyme. It is cooked with tomato and herb sauce and served with hambasha, a type of Ethiopian sourdough bread that was a lot sweeter than I expected. The assa wasn’t as spicy as I had anticipated but was flavorful and savory with the hambasha. I was a huge fan of this dish, though, and it was easily my favorite part of the meal.

Our entrees were ready rather quickly and were served on a huge piece of injera, a type of spongy flatbread that tasted too much like yeasty beer for my liking. In addition to my order of yemisir alecha – red lentil wat (stew) with potato, spinach and Ethiopian herbs and spices – the meal came with curried carrots, potatoes and a salad with homemade honey vinaigrette dressing.

While Ethiopian cuisine is laden with vegetarian dishes, beef, lamb and chicken were frequently recurring options on the menu. My dinner guest ordered the yebeg alecha, which he described as cubes of lamb sauteed in a mild curry sauce with Ethiopian spices.

The yemisir alecha and yebeg alecha were delicious and full of Middle Eastern flavor. Both dishes were incredibly hearty and filling but a little overshadowed by the bitterness of the injera.

In contrast to other Middle Eastern cuisine, Ethiopians usually serve main courses as a paste-like substance rather than more solidified foods. Alechas and wats are popular dishes that incorporate regional spices and herbs, like garlic, hot peppers and ginger, but as opposed to neighboring Egypt's vegetable and meat dishes, Ethiopian meals have the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Overall, my dining experience at Ashenda’s Abasha Restaurant was scrumptious, but I’m still wary as to the authenticity of the food’s Ethiopian-ness. With 4.4 percent of the country’s adult population suffering from the HIV/AIDS epidemic and an annual per capita income of $100, I can’t imagine a typical family being able to afford some of the ingredients used in this type of Ethiopian cooking.

But don’t let this prevent you from enjoying this cuisine. One thing is certain: I did not leave this restaurant hungry.