Ethiopian iab cheese (also known as ayeb or ayib) is a white curd-style homemade cheese similar to Greek feta. It is a central ingredient in Ethiopia’s widely consumed iab dip, which has a refreshingly cooling flavour. As such, iab is dip often found on various spicy Ethiopian food platters and often served at GOLD Restaurant. This recipe uses cottage cheese (easily sourced from your local supermarket), which is similar in texture. By adding more yoghurt and leaving out the parsley you can serve your iab with fresh fruit as a dessert or snack. Ethiopian cuisine is famous for its full flavours and communal food culture. Family and friends eat with their hands off a shared platter, which includes spicy and delicious meat, poultry, vegetables and injeera (a type of Ethiopian bread) to mop up the dips and sauces.
Recipe by: GOLD Restaurant
Serves: 8 (generous servings)
Difficulty:
Preparation: 30 minutes
Ingredients
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
- 250 g chunky cottage cheese
- 250 g plain feta cheese
- 250 g plain thick yoghurt
- 1 T grated lemon rind (zest)
- 1 t fresh oregano
- 1 t fresh basil
- 1 t fresh thyme
- 1 t freshly ground pepper
- ½ t salt
- ¼ spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 t castor sugar
- 2 t fresh garlic, finely chopped
Method
- Combine all IAB ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Transfer into a dip bowl for serving
Tip: Your dip can be prepped in advance. In fact, it tastes even better after a day or two and keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
