Doro Wat

Servings8

Time to Cook120 minutes

Time to Prepare20 minutes

Recipe developed for BC Egg by Diversivore

This savoury Ethiopian stew combines chicken and eggs with onions, berbere – a complex spice blend – and a seasoned clarified butter to deliver a hearty dish with a distinctive flavour.

Ingredients

8-10 bone-in chicken thighs (see note)
10 cloves garlic minced
3 inches ginger minced (~50 g)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium red onions minced or finely chopped (about 6 cups, or 900 grams)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup berbere spice mix (see note)
2 cups (500 ml) water (approximate)
1/3 cup (75 g) niter kibbeh (see note)
1 tsp korarima or green cardamom seeds (see note)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt or to taste
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (for tips on cooking your eggs, visit our Cooking 101 section)
injera to serve (see note)

Instructions

Combine ginger, garlic, and oil to make. Set aside.
Place a large Dutch oven (or similar pot) over low heat on the stove. Add the minced onions to the dry pan and cook slowly, stirring regularly as the liquid releases and allows the onions to simmer and caramelize. If necessary, you can add a little oil. Cook until the onions are caramelized and fragrant – generally around 25-30 minutes.
(Note: don’t try rush this step, as it’s key to the flavour of the finished dish!)
Add the ginger/garlic paste and tomato paste to the pot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the berbere and stir to combine, then sauté for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water. Increase the heat to medium and and bring the pot to a low simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the niter kibbeh and spices and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
Add the chicken. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is very tender – around 1 hour. If the sauce starts to thicken and sputter a bit too much while cooking, you can add a little extra water.
Add the hard boiled eggs, and continue to simmer gently for about 10 more minutes.
If you want a thinner/soupier sauce, you can add a little bit of water. Adjust salt to taste if necessary.Serve with injera and plenty of extra sauce.

Notes

Chicken – Traditionally, doro wat is often made with a whole, separated chicken. I use bone-in thighs for simplicity, but you can also uses drums and thighs, or other pieces. I don’t recommend chicken breasts, as the long cooking time tends to make them stringy and tough.

Berbere – The quintessential Ethiopian spice mix, berbere can be found at Ethiopian stores, online, and often at well-stocked grocery stores. If you have time, you can make your own! Visit Diversivore for an excellent recipe.

Niter kibbeh – Spiced, clarified Ethiopian butter. You can make your own or buy it at some African or Ethiopian grocers. You can substitute ghee, but Diversivore also has an excellent recipe to help you make your own. Click here to check it out.

Korarima – Often called Ethiopian cardamom, this spice can be found at Ethiopian/Eritrean grocery stores. Green cardamom tastes quite similar, and can be substituted 1:1.

Injera – This soft, springy, tangy flatbread is a side dish and serving utensil rolled into one. Any Ethiopian restaurant will happily sell you a few sides of it to go along with your own home cooking. If you can’t find injera, serve with a soft flatbread like naan or savoury crepes.