Ethiopian
Ethiopian Doro Wat with Berbere, Caramelized Onions, and Eggs
This doro wat is built on a long onion base and niter-kibbeh-style spices so the stew tastes deep and brick-red instead of just hot. Hard-boiled eggs finish the pot the way they should, soaking up the berbere-rich sauce and making it feel celebratory.
Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh ProteinSlow-CookedMake AheadComfort Food
At a Glance
- Time
- 2 hr 5 mins
- Serves
- 6
- Cost
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Ethiopian
- Dietary fit
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onions slowly, stirring often, until they collapse into a deep golden paste. This can take 30 minutes or more, and it is the backbone of the dish.
- Add the garlic, ginger, berbere, paprika, and tomato paste and cook until the spices darken slightly and smell intense. Add a splash of stock if the mixture threatens to scorch.
- Add the chicken to the pot and turn it in the onion-spice base so it is well coated. Pour in the stock, cover, and simmer gently for 35 to 45 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce looks rich and slightly broken in the traditional way.
- Add the eggs and simmer 10 minutes more so they take on the sauce. Taste and adjust the heat with more berbere or the brightness with a squeeze of lemon.
- Serve hot with rice or injera. The onions should melt into the sauce, and the eggs should come away stained orange-red from the spice.
Adaptations
Works As Written- Gluten-Free: Works As Written Works as written; verify packaged ingredients as noted below.
- Dairy-Free: Works As Written Works as written; verify packaged ingredients as noted below.
- Vegetarian: Not Vegetarian Not adaptable; this recipe is built around meat, poultry, or seafood.
How to adapt: Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free if you use oil instead of niter kibbeh. Serve with rice if you do not want to make injera.