In Israel, there is a large Ethiopian Jewish community, but the majority of Israelis are not familiar with their unique cuisine. I, however, have always felt super connected with Ethiopian culture, partly because I had Ethiopian girlfriends when I was young, and partly because it reminds me of my Yemenite father’s culture. The fragrance of this dish, the fenugreek in particular, transports me back to my childhood home. In an Ethiopian kitchen, this dish would be served with injera, a famous Ethiopian spongy flatbread that’s perfect for mopping up sauce, but you can substitute with a Yemenite pancake called lachoh, which is quite similar and very delicious.
Excerpted from “Shuk” by Einat Admony and Janna Gur (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2019.
Ethiopian Chicken (Doro Wot) Recipe
A fragrant Ethiopian chicken dish.
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 large onions, finely diced or chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek seed or leaf
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 2 ¼ cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, or water
Instructions
- Rub the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 Tbsp salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based wide skillet or Dutch oven (large enough to hold the chicken in one snug layer) over medium heat, add the onions and the remaining 1 Tbsp salt, and sauté gently until fragrant, golden brown, and sweet, about 20 minutes. Do not let the onions actually brown.
- Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, fenugreek and pepper, and stir for a minute so the spices bloom in the oil. Nestle the chicken pieces and the eggs into the pan and pour in the broth.
- Cover the pan and adjust the heat to a solid simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes. Then remove the lid (so the sauce will reduce and thicken a bit) and continue to simmer until the chicken is very tender when poked with a knife and the juices run clear (or until the thickest part of the thigh or drumstick reaches 165°F/74°C on an instant-read thermometer), 45-60 minutes.
- Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper.
- Serve with lachoh to mop up the delicious sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-pot
- Cuisine: Holiday
Another recipe that I have to try😋
Please don’t use canola oil! It is the worst oil possible for health! Safflower, sunflower, coconut oils all much better. I’d give you 5 stars if you drop the canola oil!
Right are you! Expeller pressed seed oils are probably the worst poisons in our diets…Thank you for asking to substitute coconut or olive (fruit) oils…Right on, Pat!
Organic, single origin, avocado oil
Wow, what a scold. If you don’t approve of a particular ingredient, swap it out for something you want to use. Maybe note it. But to cut the rating because you think it’s “the worst oil possible” is absurd. BTW, there are much worse fats out there.
I love this Ethiopian recipe. Make it the day before and serve it on the Break the Fast. It’s tasty and nourishing.
what is a good substitute for fenugreek?
Hi Anne! Maybe try some mustard seeds instead. You could also try a mix of mustard and cumin.
Is there anyway to use white meat chicken- bone in or boneless
A friend of mine calls this dish the “mother and child reunion.”
Please eliminate the canola oil. Canola oil is actually Rapeseed oil. When the Canadian base company brought forth the oil for sale in the US. (Can for Canada- Ola for Oil- hence canola)
They change the name to Canola.
Traditional Ethiopian Doro Wat is very spicy and redder than the picture here. I have never made doro wat; I have only had it in Ethiopian homes. And trust me, it is very spicy.
I am going to try this recipe, as it looks like a good winter-time dish.
Coconut oil is a saturated oil that will clog your arteries just as beef fat will. Those of us with bad coronary family histories can’t indulge like that. I’ll stick to olive or seed oils.
I will try it. It seems easy to make and very tasty.
Not sure what you do with the egg! It is hard boiled eggs, but it has the shell on. I know hoe difficult it is to peek the shell on a hard boiled egg. Do you peel the shell off of the egg while you are in the middle of eating?
Could be a little messy!!!