Ethiopia's beloved chicken stew featuring hard-boiled eggs in a rich, spicy berbere sauce. This iconic dish is considered the national dish of Ethiopia and is traditionally served on special occasions. Chicken pieces are slowly simmered in a deeply flavored sauce made with berbere spice blend, niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter), onions, and aromatics until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Hard-boiled eggs are added to the stew, allowing them to absorb the vibrant red sauce. Traditionally eaten with injera (Ethiopian flatbread) for scooping, doro wat represents the heart of Ethiopian cuisine.
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17 items
Rub the whole chicken pieces with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt, massaging well, then let at room temperature for 20 minutes to tenderize.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat, gently add the eggs, and boil for 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Transfer the boiled eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool for 5 minutes, then peel and set aside.
Use a sharp knife to the peeled hard-boiled eggs with shallow cuts all around to help them absorb the sauce later.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the finely chopped red onions with no oil, cooking and stirring frequently for 15-20 minutes until the onions are very soft, golden, and have released their moisture.
Add the niter kibbeh to the onions and stir to combine, cooking for 2 minutes until the butter melts and coats the onions.
Add the garlic cloves and fresh ginger to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant.
Add the berbere spice blend and sweet paprika to the pot and stir constantly for 2 minutes to and develop their flavors.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and becomes fragrant.
Pour in the dry red wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook for 3 minutes until the wine reduces by half.
Add the chicken broth and water to the pot, stirring to combine into a smooth sauce, then bring to a over medium-high heat.
Rinse the whole chicken pieces under cold water to remove the lemon juice, then pat dry with paper towels.
Add the chicken pieces to the sauce along with the black pepper, ground cardamom, ground fenugreek, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, stirring to coat the chicken.
Bring the stew to a gentle , then heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning the chicken pieces to ensure even cooking.
Add the hard-boiled eggs to the stew, nestling them into the sauce, then cover and continue for 15 more minutes to allow the eggs to absorb the flavors.
Uncover the pot and for an additional 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce further if needed - the sauce should be rich and coat the back of a spoon.
Taste the ethiopian doro wat and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.
Serve the ethiopian doro wat hot in a large shallow bowl, ensuring each serving gets chicken pieces and a hard-boiled egg, with injera bread on the side for scooping.
