Doro Wat- Ethiopia’s National Dish

Written By Omar Farah

Doro Wat Recipe

Ingredients

  • 8-10 bone-in chicken legs or thighs

  • 6 medium red or sweet onions, minced (about 6 cups or 900 g)

  • 8-10 cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 inches ginger, minced (about 50 g)

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1/3 cup niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter, essential)

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup berbere spice mix

  • 1 tsp ground black cardamom (or korarima)

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

  • 1 cup water + 1 cup stock

  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

  • Injera, to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the Chicken

  • Clean the chicken legs or thighs, removing excess fat and skin. Now in my opinion, you don’t need to do the whole cleaning with vinegar and lemons, but I fear a flipflop might come flying at you if you skip this step… proceed at your own risk.

  • Score the chicken pieces by making shallow cuts to help absorb the spices later. For now just hit your chicken with a bit of salt.

  • Set aside.

2. Prepare the Base (Sauté the Onions)

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the minced onions with NO OIL, and sauté gently on low heat, allowing it to release its internal water, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized (30–40 minutes). This step is crucial for the depth of flavour. If it starts getting stuck, you can add a little bit of oil or kibbeh to help loosen.

  • DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP, don’t feel the need to increase the heat or anything. this will be the longest step, so relax, put on a show, and get up to stir it every few minutes.

3. Add Aromatics and Berbere

  • Add the minced garlic and ginger to the onions, stirring well for about 2–3 minutes.

  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

  • Gradually add the berbere, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook until the spices are fragrant and well combined (3–5 minutes).

4. Incorporate Niter Kibbeh and Spices & Boil Eggs

  • Stir in the niter kibbeh, ground black cardamom, black pepper, and nutmeg (if using).

  • Side quest: in a seperate pot, bring some eggs to boil with water. I’m assuming if you’re doing this recipe you know how to boil eggs…. if not you might already be in over your head ._.

  • Separate from the egg shell and give it some pokes all around, so the stew can seep in later, and set aside.

5. Add the Chicken and Liquids

  • Add the chicken to the pot, coating them thoroughly with the spice mixture.

  • Pour in the water and stock, ensuring the chicken is mostly submerged.

  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Or until your chicken is fall off the bone tender

  • Add salt to taste.

6. Add Hard-Boiled Eggs

  • Gently add the peeled hard-boiled eggs into the stew. Allow them to heat through and absorb the flavors for about 5–10 minutes.

7. Serve

  • Serve the Doro Wat on a bed of injera, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Berbere Spice: Adjust the quantity to your spice tolerance. Depending on where you source it, some folks make it naturally spicier depending on the peppers used. Remember, you can always add more, you CAN’T take any out.

  • Niter Kibbeh: If unavailable, you can use clarified butter and a mix of garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom to mimic the flavour.

  • For an authentic experience, serve with a side of fresh greens or a lentil dish like misir wot.

Omar Farah
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