AI-generated photo.
Ethiopian · Iconic, Addis Ababa · Ethiopia
Kitfo
Also called ክትፎ
Kitfo (ክትፎ), a Addis Ababa plate from Ethiopia.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Kitfo is cooked in Addis Ababa as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop the beef fine and cook it through in spiced butter, then serve it with fresh cheese and spinach. The celebrated plate is often served rare. This one is cooked through. 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.
71
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Balanced
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 39%
- Carbs 5%
- Fat 56%
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.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 32.1 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 423 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Watch · Pregnancy caution
Alcohol, liver, caffeine, a higher-mercury fish, or a soft cheese is in the required list.
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.
- Beef sirloin176 kcal
- Unsalted butter90 kcal
- Ricotta55 kcal
- Spinach6 kcal
- Cayenne2 kcal
- Ground cardamom1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 1.4. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 329 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Use half the butter
Half the butter grams stay out of the plate. The new figure subtracts those grams on the ingredient table.
About 284 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 | 329 kcal | 16% |
| Protein | 32.1 g | 64% |
| Carbohydrate | 3.9 g | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 3% |
| Total sugars | 0.3 g | 1% |
| Fat | 20.2 g | 26% |
| Saturated fat | 11 g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 123 mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 423 mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 686 mg | 15% |
| Calcium | 145 mg | 11% |
| Iron | 2.9 mg | 16% |
| Magnesium | 59 mg | 14% |
| Zinc | 5.8 mg | 53% |
| Vitamin A | 263 mcg | 29% |
| Vitamin C | 7.7 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 1.5 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin K | 124 mcg | 103% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 10% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 25% |
| Niacin (B3) | 10 mg | 63% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.9 mg | 52% |
| Folate | 68 mcg | 17% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.8 mcg | 77% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 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.
- Saturated fat is moderate to high. Worth noticing if cholesterol is on your mind.
- Choose a pasteurized cheese if you are pregnant.
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
- Wide skillet
- Scale
- Spatula
- Timer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Beef sirloin4 pieces520 g
Unsalted butter3 tbsp50 g
Cayenne1 tsp3 g
Ground cardamom0.25 tsp1 g
Ricotta0.6 cup140 g
Spinach3 cups100 g
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 Kitfo. Heat to medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh beef sirloin, unsalted butter, cayenne, ground cardamom, ricotta, spinach, kosher salt. Kitfo is cooked in Addis Ababa as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop the beef fine and cook it through in spiced butter, then serve it with fresh cheese and spinach. The celebrated plate is often served rare. This one is cooked through. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Kitfo is cooked in ethiopia. Also called ክትፎ. Scrape the browned bits up with the liquid. That fond is the sauce.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Kitfo, until the edges take a little color. Sauté means movement. If the food sits still the whole time, it is steaming.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Kitfo at medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C. Start checking at 11 minutes. Kitfo is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C.
Sauté 11 min
- 🇪🇹 EthiopiaEast Africaicon-ethiopia-kitfo-step-4
Kitfo, step 5
Step 5 · Kitfo
5Check the center of Kitfo, 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.
- 🇪🇹 EthiopiaEast Africaicon-ethiopia-kitfo-step-5
Kitfo, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Kitfo for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in ethiopia, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Kitfo in this shot order and no other: hands shaping a loaf or patty; the fridge shelf where the plate will chill; wide on the cold pan before the heat; the lid lifted for one quick look. Slate words for the editor: undercrust, nectar, fork, blister, whisked, ripple, kiln, candle, whisk, simmer.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Kitfo is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was medium-high heat, pan about 375°F / 190°C.
If it goes wrong
- Kitfo 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.
- Kitfo 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 Kitfo, 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
- Kitfo is one of the plates people ask for by name from Addis Ababa.
- 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. Chop the beef fine and cook it through in spiced butter, then serve it with fresh cheese and spinach. The celebrated plate is often served rare. This one is cooked through.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
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.