Doro Wat 101 (Ethiopian chicken stew)

The beauty of slow cooked meals is that these can be very comforting without having to add lots of cream, cheese or fat. Using the right spices can also give you that soothing, warming feeling without the extra calories. A good example is Ethiopia’s National dish Doro Wat, an amazing chicken stew.

While it does use a little butter, most of the flavor comes from slowly cooking the chicken, tomatoes, and onions with ginger, garlic, and the Berbere spice blend. A similar version can be prepared with beef and the ingredients can vary per family, but those are basically the main ingredients.

Overall, it’s a dish that feels wholesome and good for you, and it’s great to serve guests or just to spoil yourself on a chilly day. You can also make it as spicy as you want. Serve it with traditional injera bread, flatbread, rice or boiled potatoes. Here’s our take on Doro Wat. Hope you enjoy.

Doro Wat

Ingredients

• 1 Large onion, diced
• 6-7 Large garlic cloves
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons of freshly grated ginger
• 1 Large vine tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Berbere
• 4 Chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• Cover with water
• 2 boiled eggs
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Takes 1 hour and 45 minutes, serves 2-4.

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger in olive oil. Cook it on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes.
2. Add the butter, the spice, tomatoes, and vinegar. Keep cooking for another 15 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and cover with water. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the thighs. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove chicken and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until sauce thickens. (About 25 minutes)
5. Serve chicken with the sauce and sliced boiled eggs.