Eating Healthy in Dakar: Ethiopian Fasting Dishes at Ge'eza

For a balanced meal in Dakar without giving up on flavour, the Ethiopian fasting dishes served at Ge'eza, in Point E, are built on legumes, vegetables and spices, cooked without butter and served on injera, listed on the menu as naturally gluten free. Misir wot and shiro wot are both 5,500 F, gomen is 6,000 F, key sir and fosolia tibs are both 5,000 F, and the house juices are 2,000 F.

A fasting cuisine that became a reference point for lighter eating

Ethiopian cooking includes a large number of vegan dishes, born from the many fasting days observed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, during which meat, dairy and eggs are set aside. This repertoire of legumes and vegetables, developed for those particular days, has become part of the everyday table, well beyond religious practice alone. Our article on Ethiopian fasting dishes covers the origin of this tradition and the full list of seven dishes.

Legumes, the base of the fasting dishes

Shiro wot, finely ground chickpeas simmered in a berbere sauce, and misir wot, red lentils with turmeric, garlic and spices, are the two legume-based dishes on the menu, each priced at 5,500 F. Cooked without butter, they rely on oil and spices for flavour, which sets them apart from the meat dishes prepared with kibbeh.

Vegetables, for a varied plate

Gomen, collard greens sautéed with garlic and onion and bought fresh in Dakar, is 6,000 F. Key sir, slow-cooked Ethiopian beetroot, and fosolia tibs, green beans and carrots sautéed with spices, are both 5,000 F. These three dishes bring more colour to the plate, pairing well with the legume dishes for a meal with a range of textures and flavours.

Teff injera, listed as naturally gluten free

All of these dishes are eaten on injera, the fermented flatbread that also doubles as cutlery. The menu lists it as naturally gluten free, since it is made from teff flour, an ancient Ethiopian grain. Our article on teff, Ethiopia's ancient grain covers this grain in more depth, without promising any particular benefit beyond what is well established.

House juices, to go with the meal

To go with these dishes, the house juices, bissap, bouye or ginger, are 2,000 F. They round out the plate without adding a whole extra dish, keeping the meal simple to put together.

Building a plate around your own needs

For a full meal built around the fasting dishes, the beyaynetu brings several of these sauces together on one injera, starting at 7,000 F for one person. For something more targeted, choosing two or three dishes to share, say a shiro wot and a gomen, with a house juice, makes for a lighter plate without losing variety. The menu stays the reference point: it describes each dish precisely, and the team can confirm the exact composition of a dish on request.

Other fasting dishes to try on a different visit

The menu lists eight fasting dishes served on their own, all made without butter, seven of which come together in the beyaynetu. Beyond the legumes and vegetables already mentioned, tikil gomen, cabbage with turmeric, garlic and olive oil, alicha ater kik, split peas slow-cooked with turmeric, and firfir, torn injera soaked in a spiced wot sauce, round out the plate, each priced at 5,500 F. Paired with the dishes already listed, they make it easy to put together a different meal on each visit, without ever repeating the same plate within the same week.

A meal that stays easy to repeat

For anyone visiting Dakar more than once, or living there, alternating between these fasting dishes, the vegetables and the house juices makes for a balanced meal without much thought needed each time. A regular soon learns that gomen and shiro wot pair well, or that a ginger juice suits a spicier dish.

Mention any allergy before ordering

For any allergy or dietary restriction, the simplest approach is to mention it to the team before ordering, rather than relying only on the menu description. Legumes, any nuts in certain side dishes, or other specific ingredients can vary from one dish to another, and asking directly avoids any confusion once the dish arrives.

For anyone looking for a vegan option in Dakar

Senegalese cooking relies heavily on fish and meat, which makes a menu built entirely around vegan food harder to find in the city. Ge'eza's Ethiopian fasting dishes offer a simple answer to that search, without needing a separate menu. Our article on vegan restaurants in Dakar widens the question to other addresses and other situations.

Booking your table

For a meal built around these dishes, book online or message WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07, mentioning any dietary restrictions. Ge'eza is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm.