In short
- Doro wat: chicken stew slow-simmered with onions, berbere and niter kibbeh, garnished with hard-boiled eggs.
- Origin: Ethiopia, considered the country's national dish.
- Essential ingredients: chicken, onions, berbere, niter kibbeh, garlic, ginger, hard-boiled eggs.
- A dish for special occasions (Coptic Christmas, Ethiopian Easter, weddings), shared from a common plate with injera.
Origins and cultural history of doro wat
In Amharic, “doro” means chicken and “wat” means stew. Doro wat is considered the national dish of Ethiopia, a country that was never colonised and whose cuisine developed without the outside influences imposed on other regions of Africa.
It is made for special occasions: Coptic Christmas (Genna), Ethiopian Easter (Fasika) and weddings, where it is traditionally shared from a common plate, accompanied by injera, the fermented Ethiopian flatbread. Its preparation takes time: the long cooking of the onions, the base of the sauce, is an essential step.
What are the essential ingredients of doro wat
The base of doro wat combines chicken and a large amount of onions, slow-simmered with two Ethiopian preparations: berbere, a spice blend, and niter kibbeh, a fragrant clarified butter.
- chicken, preferably bone-in pieces
- onions, in a large quantity
- berbere (Ethiopian spice blend)
- niter kibbeh (spiced Ethiopian clarified butter)
- garlic and ginger
- hard-boiled eggs
What to know about doro wat
In Amharic, “doro” means chicken and “wat” means stew: doro wat is a chicken stew simmered for a long time with a large quantity of onions, berbere, niter kibbeh, garlic and ginger, and garnished with hard-boiled eggs. Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend, and niter kibbeh is a spiced clarified butter. It is the national dish of Ethiopia, made for big occasions such as Coptic Christmas, Easter and weddings, and shared from a common dish with injera, a fermented flatbread.
Frequently asked questions about doro wat
Is doro wat a very spicy dish?
It generally is, because of the berbere, a spice blend whose heat varies depending on the brand and family recipes. To make it milder, reduce the amount of berbere and taste during cooking before adding more.
Can niter kibbeh be replaced with regular butter?
Niter kibbeh is a clarified butter infused with spices, different from regular butter or plain ghee. Failing that, plain clarified butter can replace it, but the dish loses some of its characteristic aroma.
Where to find the ingredients for doro wat in France?
NKOSI sells the garlic, ginger and clarified butter used in doro wat, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
