Name: Doro Wat: Ethiopian Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ethiopian Food
Ingredients: Chicken thighs: 4; Chicken drumsticks: 4; Juice of 2 lemons; Red onions: 6; Vegetable oil: 120ml; Garlic cloves: 4; Grated ginger: 10g; Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter): 50g; Hard-boiled eggs: 4; Ground Korarima (or green cardamom): 1 teaspoonful; Berbere (Ethiopian spice blend): 70g; Mekelesha spices (Ethiopian spice blend): 1 teaspoonful

Cuisine:

Ethiopian Food

2h30
Serves 4
Easy

Ingredients

4
Chicken thighs
4
Chicken drumsticks
Juice of 2 lemons
6
Red onions
120ml
Vegetable oil
4
Garlic cloves
10g
Grated ginger
50g
Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter)
4
Hard-boiled eggs
1 teaspoonful
Ground Korarima (or green cardamom)
70g
Berbere (Ethiopian spice blend)
1 teaspoonful
Mekelesha spices (Ethiopian spice blend)

Directions

Votes: 1

Table of Contents

Doro Wat: a Traditional Ethiopian Christmas Recipe

Christmas is the perfect time to explore flavors from around the world, and this year, why not add an Ethiopian twist to your festive feast? Discover “Doro Wat”, a traditional Ethiopian dish that embodies the spirit of the season while offering an exotic culinary experience.

Doro Wat An Ancient Culinary Tradition

History of Doro Wat

This recipe is much more than just a dish in Ethiopia. It’s a symbol of celebration and conviviality. Often prepared for special occasions, it is considered a festive dish par excellence.

Authentic Ethiopian ingredients

Doro Wat derives its authenticity from its key ingredients, such as clarified butter (Niter Kibbeh), Ethiopian spices and injera bread. These unique components give the dish its characteristic flavor.

Doro Wat spice blends

This chicken stew is a veritable explosion of flavors, with spices such as berbere and mekelesha, Ethiopian spice blends. Spicy, smoky and slightly sweet notes combine to create an incomparable taste experience.

You can, of course, buy them in specialized grocery stores!

Which spices are used in Bebere?

Sweet pepper
cardamom
garlic
coriander
ginger
cayenne pepper
cinnamon

Which spices are used in Mekelesha?

1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp black cumin seeds (from Indian grocery stores)
1 tsp. timiz (Piper capense, Ethiopian long pepper, available in Ethiopian grocery stores)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp. cinnamon
2.5 tsp korarima (Ethiopian cardamom, otherwise green cardamom)
1 tsp ajwain (or ajowan, Trachyspermum ammi, in Indian grocery stores)

Ethiopian food conviviality

Doro Wat is traditionally served with family and friends, strengthening bonds and conviviality. It’s an opportunity to share precious moments around the table.

Traditional Doro Wat accompaniments

For an authentic experience, serve Doro Wat with injera, a spongy Ethiopian bread. Accompaniments such as spiced lentils and vegetables complete this traditional dish.

This Christmas, broaden your culinary horizons by preparing Ethiopian Doro Wat. This traditional recipe is much more than a dish: it’s a cultural experience in its own right. Bring the authenticity and flavor of Ethiopia to your Christmas table.

Steps

1 Done	Wash and prepare the chicken Traditionally, in Ethiopian cuisine, chicken is washed with lemon juice or vinegar, but here I'm using lemon juice. To do this, remove the skin and place your chicken thighs and drumsticks in a large bowl, then pour in the lemon juice and a little water. Carefully massage the chicken for a minute, drain off the water and repeat the process. Next, to tenderize the chicken, pierce it with a knife and sprinkle with salt. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
2 Done	Preparing red onions Peel your 6 red onions and chop them fairly finely. Add them to a large, fat-free saucepan and sauté over low/medium heat for around 20 minutes. The onions should soften and color slightly. Then add 100ml vegetable oil and continue frying for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Your red onions should have the consistency of a fairly thick paste.
3 Done	Add Doro Wat spices Add 60g of berbere, your Ethiopian spice blend, and mix well. Fry for 5 minutes, adding a little more boiling water as soon as it starts to stick to the pan. Then add 1 teaspoon of Korarima, 15g of minced garlic and 10g of minced ginger, and sauté for a further 5 minutes, adding more boiling water if it starts to stick.
4 Done	Add clarified butter (niter Kibbeh) Then add your clarified butter, called niter kibbeh and mix carefully to melt. Add about 400ml of boiling water, salt and mix niter kibbeh)
5 Done	Add the chicken Score the meat and add your chicken thighs and drumsticks (skin removed). Simmer over low/medium heat for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Your Doro Wat should take on a dark brown color. If it doesn't, add a little boiling water. Meanwhile, prepare hard-boiled eggs.
6 Done	Add the hard-boiled eggs Shell your hard-boiled eggs and score them lengthwise. Add your hard-boiled eggs to your Doro Wat and cook for a further 5 minutes.
7 Done	Your home-made Ethiopian Doro Wat is ready! At the end of cooking, taste and adjust the seasoning. You could, for example, add a little more niter kibbeh or mekelesha. Serve your Doro Wat with injera, a delicious Ethiopian flatbread.