🇹 Ethiopian · Traditional Side Dishes & Condiments
🍅 Ethiopian Tomato Chilli Sauce
ሲልሲ — Silsi
Ethiopian Silsi — a smooth, slightly spiced tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, green chilli, and a touch of berbere. The Ethiopian table sauce served alongside tibs, grilled fish, and grilled meats — lighter and fresher than awaze.
Silsi is Ethiopia's fresh tomato table sauce — lighter than awaze, brighter than berbere-based condiments, and providing a fresh acid note alongside richer preparations. It appears on every restaurant table alongside tibs and grilled preparations.
Ingredients
Equipment: Pan, Blender
- 4 ripe tomatoes — quartered
- 1 onion — roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 green chillies (jalapeño or serrano)
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp berbere
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh coriander
Method
- Heat oil. Cook onion and garlic until golden — 5 minutes.
- Add green chillies and berbere. Stir 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes until completely soft.
- Cool slightly.
- Blend with lemon juice and coriander until smooth.
- Season.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
Chef Tips
- Silsi should be smooth — blend thoroughly.
- The green chilli (not berbere) provides the primary heat here.
- The berbere is a background note only — just ½ tsp.
- Add lemon after blending — preserves the bright colour.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too much berbere — overpowers the fresh tomato character.
- Not blending smooth.
The Science
Cooking the tomatoes before blending concentrates the lycopene and breaks down the pectin in the cell walls — producing a smoother texture than raw tomato blending and concentrating the umami compounds (glutamate) released during cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Lycopene from cooked tomatoes.
- Vitamin C.
- Low calorie.
Cultural Note
Silsi is the light condiment of the Ethiopian table — where awaze is intense and kibbeh is rich, silsi is bright and fresh. It provides the tomato-forward note that balances the heavy spice and fat of the great wats.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 1 week. Freeze 3 months.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature.
Serve with: Alongside Tibs (ETH022), With grilled fish (ETH085), As a dipping sauce with injera