Doro Wat

Doro wat is one of the most iconic dishes in Ethiopian cuisine. Rich, spicy and deeply rooted in the country’s culture, it plays a central role in festive meals and major celebrations.

Doro wat is a spicy chicken stew simmered in an intense red sauce made with onions, berbere (a spice mix) and niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter), to which hard-boiled eggs are added at the end of cooking. The word ‘wat’ simply means ‘stew’ in Amharic (Ethiopia’s historical official language).

It is traditionally served with injera, a large, soft and slightly sour flatbread made from teff flour.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Columbus eggs
1.2 kg chicken thighs or drumsticks (with bones, preferably skinless)
3 large yellow onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 piece of fresh ginger (3–4 cm)
3 tablespoons of berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
3 tablespoons of neutral oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Juice of ½ lemon
20 cl of chicken stock
Salt to taste

Preparation

Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Leave to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse lightly and drain.
Finely chop the onions (almost to a purée). Cook them dry, without fat, in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly for 15 to 20 minutes: they should become soft and slightly golden (this is what gives the dish its depth).
Add the oil. Add the crushed garlic and ginger. Add the berbere and stir for 2-3 minutes to lightly roast the spices. Stir in the tomato paste.
Add the chicken pieces and coat them with the sauce. Pour in the stock. Cover and simmer over low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick.
Hard boil the eggs (10 minutes), peel them and prick them lightly with a fork. Add them to the sauce 10 minutes before the end of cooking so that they absorb the flavours.