Doro Wat is a rich and spicy Ethiopian chicken stew made with tender chicken, boiled eggs, and a bold spice mix called berbere. The flavors in this dish are bold and comforting with right amount of heat. The onions, the richness of the spices, the kick from the chilli makes this recipe special. The eggs soak up all the flavor, making them taste even better. It's usually served with injera, the traditional Ethiopian flatbread. If you want something filling and full of flavor this is the perfect dish.
Ethiopian Doro Wat Recipe
My husband, our kids and I truly enjoyed the meal. We also tried the famous Ethiopian coffee, which made the experience even more special and was the perfect way to end our celebration. After that trip, I felt inspired to recreate some of the dishes we tried, like egg sando ( egg sandwich ), Kare pan ( a curry stuffed bun ) and now this doro wat.
Jump to:
Doro Wat is one of the star dish in the injera platter. It is an onion based chicken egg curry which is ideal to serve with injera. Injera is a delicious and unique flatbread that is soft, spongy and full of flavours. It is perfect for scooping the stews, curries for lunch or dinner. I first tasted the injera during our trip to Japan at an Ethiopian restaurant and I got instantly hooked to it. That experience inspired me to try making this instant version of injera at home. Now this has become one of our family favourite recipes.
About Ethiopian Doro Wat
Doro Wat is one of the most famous dishes in Ethiopian cuisine. This Ethiopian chicken stew is famous for its bright red color, slow-cooked onions, and the punch of berbere spice.
Doro wat is a onion based chicken and egg curry. The recipe uses specially made spice powder known as berbere. It uses lots of onions which is cooked down till caramelized which adds tons of flavours and sweetness to the dish.
It's not your everyday curry, Doro Wat takes patience, which is usually made for special moments. This dora wat is served with injera, bread or even with dosa.
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Why this recipe work?
Perfect for sharing: Serving doro wat with injera or rice, this is special for serving. This dish gathers people to the table.
Why I love this recipe - From grinding spices to simmering the thick curry, the gravy makes you proud of yourself. It gives the feel of crafting something special. This Ethiopian Doro wat is the kind of recipe that stands out. It has a totally unique taste which we don't get in everyday recipes. The leftovers are even better: The overnight gravy in the fridge tastes even better, the flavors get deeper and richer.
Balanced dish: It is spicy, bold and rich but not overpowering. Every bite of this doro wat is exciting, not exhausting.
Real flavor, no shortcuts: This recipe doesn't rely on readymade sauces or spice pastes. Everything is from scratch so the taste is honest, bold and rich.
Doro Wat Ingredients
Chicken Thigh & Drumsticks: These cuts stay juicy and soak up the spices really well. The bones give extra flavor to the curry. Doro wat requires special cleaning of chicken. You add lemon juice and lemon peel in the chicken and cover with water. It helps to clean the chicken and remove any strong smell.
Onions: This gives a rich base to the curry. It has a mild sweet flavour which enhances the overall flavour. You need lots of onions for the curry.
Ginger Garlic Paste: It adds warmth and bold flavor. You can use minced ginger and garlic.
Oil: Which helps to cook the onions and spices nicely. It carries all the flavors.
Ghee: It adds richness to the curry. Which makes the curry smell amazing.
Berbere Spice: A bold and spicy mix that gives Doro Wat its unique taste and deep color.
Sugar & Salt : Which balances the strong flavors and adds a tiny bit of sweetness.Salt is essential for balance of flavour.
Hard Boiled Eggs: These soak up the curry and taste even better the longer they sit in the gravy.
Homemade Berbere Spice Mix
Coriander Seeds: Which adds a light, lemony flavor that keeps the spice mix fresh.
Cumin Seeds: It give an earthy, warm taste that grounds the whole mix.
Ajwain: It is sharp and slightly bitter, it is just enough to wake up the flavors.
Whole Black Pepper: Which brings clean heat and a nice bite.
Cinnamon Sticks: This add sweet warmth that balances out the spice.
Cloves: They give that extra punch.
Cardamom Pods: It adds a gentle sweetness to the spice blend.1
Red Chilli Powder: Which gives the curry its deep red color and spicy kick.
Garlic Powder: It boosts the flavor without peeling or chopping.
Onion Powder: This adds more depth and blends well with fresh onions.
Ginger Powder: Which gives a warm, slightly peppery note that rounds out the spices.
Hacks
- Make berbere in bulk and store it: Make an extra toasting and grinding of spices, store it in airtight container. It keeps well and saves you a big step next time.
- Prep the chicken earlier: Clean, slit, and soak the chicken in lemon water the night before. It makes the chicken more flavorful.
- Substitute: If you can't find injera, soft Kerala parotta, plain dosa, or even naan can work as great substitutes.
- Double the recipe and freeze half: Make extra curry and freeze a portion, it will be helpful on a lazy day.
Doro Wat Recipe (Step by Step Pictures)
1)Take the chicken pieces and make small cuts on them. Wash them well a few times. Soak them in water with lemon juice and the lemon peels. Keep it in the fridge for about 1 hour. This helps remove the smell and makes the chicken soft.
In a big, heavy pot, add the chopped onions, no oil needed yet.
2)Cook them slowly while stirring. This helps remove the water and makes them soft and pink.
3)Once the onions are soft and dry, add the oil. Keep cooking and stirring until they turn deep golden brown. This step takes some time but it makes the curry taste rich.
4)Keep mixing and cook until onions get caramelized.
5)Now it is deep golden in colour.
6)Add the ginger garlic paste. Cook for a minute.
7)cook until the raw smell leaves.
8)Add in ghee.
9)Then add ghee and the berbere spice mix.
10)Stir everything well.
11)If the bottom sticks, add a little hot water and gently scrape it off.
12)Mix well.
13)Add salt and a pinch of sugar.
14)Add chicken, Mix everything so the chicken is well-coated with the spicy onion mix.
15)Mix well.
16)Pour hot water to cover the chicken.
17)Stir, cover with a lid, and cook on low heat for about 30-35 minutes until the chicken is soft and cooked through.
18)Cook low and slow.
19)The chicken is cooked.
20)Add in hard boiled eggs.
21)Gently place the boiled eggs into the curry. Let them cook in the gravy for 5-10 minutes so they soak up the flavor.
22)After turning off the heat, let the curry sit for at least 1 hour. This helps the taste become deeper and better.
23)Serve.
Expert tips
- Don't rush the onions, The deeper you brown them, the richer your curry will taste. This step builds the base.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan. A good pot keeps heat even and prevents burning at the bottom.
- Make sure the eggs have slits, these slits help the eggs soak in all the curry goodness.
- Scrape the pot edges now and then, this bring back the curry into full of flavor.
- Doro Wat tastes even better after sitting for a while. Let it rest for at least an hour, overnight is even better.
Variations
Ethiopian Dal Recipe: This is a thick lentil curry made with red lentils, onions, and a little bit of spice. It is also called as Misir Wat. It's warm, filling, and full of flavor. Even though there's no meat, it tastes rich and comforting. Perfect to eat with injera or plain rice.
Ethiopian Injera Flatbread Recipe: Injera is a soft, spongy flatbread that's used to eat almost every Ethiopian meal. It's made with teff flour and needs a few days to ferment, which gives it a slightly sour taste. Looks like a pancake and used to scoop up stews instead of using a spoon. It's simple but very special.
Berbere Recipe: Berbere is a spicy mix of ground spices used in many Ethiopian dishes. It includes red chili, cumin, coriander, garlic, and other warm spices. It adds heat, color, and bold flavor. A little goes a long way, and it makes any curry taste more exciting.
FAQ
Q:Is Doro Wat very spicy?
It depends on how much berbere you use. Start with a small amount if you don't like too much spice.
Q:What if I don't have berbere spice?
You can make it at home using simple spices like chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder.
Q:Can I make it without eggs?
Yes, the eggs are optional. The curry still tastes delicious without them.
Q:Do I need to use chicken with bones?
Chicken with bones gives more flavor. But boneless chicken also works.
Q:Why soak the chicken in lemon water?
It helps clean the chicken, remove any smell, and make it soft.
Q:Can I use store-bought berbere?
Yes, just check the label to make sure it doesn't have extra sugar or too much salt.
Q:How long does it take to cook?
Around 1.5 to 2 hours, including slow cooking time. It's not quick, but it's worth it.
Q:What can I eat with Doro Wat?
It's best with injera, but you can also eat it with rice, naan, paratha, or soft dosa.
Q:Can I cook it one day before?
Yes! It actually tastes better the next day after resting.
Q:Can I freeze Doro Wat?
Yes, you can freeze the curry. Just don't freeze the boiled eggs, add them fresh when reheating.
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Doro Wat Recipe (Ethiopian Chicken Egg Stew)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cleaning Chicken
- 500 grams Chicken Thigh & Drumsticks
- 1 large Lemon halved
- 5 cups Water
For Curry
- 500 grams Onions peeled and chopped finely
- ¼ cup Ginger Garlic Paste
- ½ cup Oil
- 3 tablespoon Ghee
- ¼ cup Berbere Spice or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 5 large Hard Boiled Eggs
Berbere Spice Mix
- ¼ cup Coriander seeds
- 1½ tablespoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ajwain carom seeds
- 1 tablespoon Whole black pepper
- 2 stick Cinnamon
- 10 no Cloves
- 20 pods Cardamom
- ¾ cup Red Chilli Powder
- 4 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 4 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg powder
Instructions
- Making Berbere Spice Mix - Take all the whole spices in a pan. Toast on low medium heat stirring constantly for 4 to 5minutes until the spices are toasted and aroma comes from it. Take it off the heat and add it to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Now take the cooled spices in a blender and powder it fine. Now add in the spice powders into the same blender and powder it until fine and combined. Once powdered, store this in an air tight container.
- Cleaning Chicken - Take chicken drumstick and thigh portion. Make multiple slits on the chicken and take it in a bowl. Rinse it multiple time to wash it well. Now Cover the chicken with water, add lemon juice and the lemon peel into the water and mix well. Cover with a lid and place in fridge for at least 1 hour. This step removes the smell from the chicken and makes it tender.
- Making curry base - Take a heavy bottom pan with lid and place it on heat. Now add in the finely chopped onions into the pan, no oil is required. I used my food processor to chop the onions super fine. Now stir fry the onions in the pan for at least 5 to 8 minutes till the onions gets slightly soft and colour changes. This step removes the excess water from the onion and make it dry. Once the onions turn pinkish and starts to caramelise in the base of the pan proceed with next step.
- Caramelising onions - Now add in oil into the onions and mix well. Cook on medium high heat until the onions starts to caramelise. This step takes at least 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to mix the onions every now and then. The onions should get deep golden colour.
- Making masala - Add in ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. Now add in ghee and berbere spice mix into the onions and toss well with the onions. Pour in little hot water into the onions and mix it using a spatula to scrape the charred bits from the bottom of the pot . Cook on medium heat until the spices is cooked through, it will get 2 minutes.
- Adding chicken - now add in the chicken into the onion along with salt and sugar and mix well. Now pour enough hot water to cover the chicken completely. Mix well. Pop on a lid and cook on very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked.
- Adding Eggs - Meanwhile take your boiled eggs and make slits on it so the gravy gets into the egg. Now Once chicken is cooked, add in boiled eggs and mix well. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit for 1 hour for the flavours to develop and deepen. Serve with injera.
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