AI-generated photo.
Eritrean · Iconic, Asmara · Eritrea
Zigni
Also called ዝግኒ
Zigni (ዝግኒ), a Asmara plate from Eritrea.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Zigni is cooked in Asmara as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Cook a great quantity of onion down, then simmer the lamb in paprika and tomato until it yields. Berbere is the usual blend. Paprika and cayenne stand in. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
86
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 46%
- Carbs 16%
- Fat 38%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 34.5 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 543 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Lamb leg189 kcal
- Olive oil44 kcal
- Yellow onion32 kcal
- Tomato paste10 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth5 kcal
- Sweet paprika4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 4.3. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 291 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 291 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 291 kcal | 15% |
| Protein | 34.5 g | 69% |
| Carbohydrate | 12.1 g | 4% |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 10% |
| Total sugars | 5.1 g | 10% |
| Fat | 12.5 g | 16% |
| Saturated fat | 3 g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 99 mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 543 mg | 24% |
| Potassium | 830 mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 51 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3.4 mg | 19% |
| Magnesium | 55 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 5.3 mg | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 73 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 9.7 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.7 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 14 mcg | 12% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.3 mg | 27% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.4 mg | 29% |
| Niacin (B3) | 8.6 mg | 54% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.5 mg | 29% |
| Folate · estimate | 22 mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 mcg | 103% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Lamb leg4 pieces600 g
Yellow onion2 onions320 g
Tomato paste3 tbsp45 g
Cayenne1 tsp4 g
Sweet paprika2 tsp5 g
Garlic4 cloves12 g
Olive oil1 tbsp21.98 ml
Low-sodium beef broth1.3 cups320 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Zigni. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh lamb leg, yellow onion, tomato paste, cayenne, sweet paprika, garlic, olive oil, low-sodium beef broth, kosher salt. Zigni is cooked in Asmara as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Cook a great quantity of onion down, then simmer the lamb in paprika and tomato until it yields. Berbere is the usual blend. Paprika and cayenne stand in. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Zigni is cooked in eritrea. Also called ዝግኒ. Leave the lid ajar so the surface reduces instead of boiling over.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Zigni, until the edges take a little color. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Zigni at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 40 minutes. Zigni is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 40 min
- 🇪🇷 EritreaEast Africaicon-eritrea-zigni-step-4
Zigni, step 5
Step 5 · Zigni
5Check the center of Zigni, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇪🇷 EritreaEast Africaicon-eritrea-zigni-step-5
Zigni, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Zigni for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in eritrea, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Zigni in this shot order and no other: fish just turning opaque and flaking; liquid going in and lifting the fond; the slice or ladle hitting a warm plate; a skewer pulled from the center. Slate words for the editor: basket, nutmeg, bronzed, sear, frost, ripple, ember, pebble, candle, oven.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Zigni is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Zigni looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Zigni turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Zigni, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Zigni is one of the plates people ask for by name from Asmara.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Cook a great quantity of onion down, then simmer the lamb in paprika and tomato until it yields. Berbere is the usual blend. Paprika and cayenne stand in.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.