"Doro Wot" and New Year

Ethiopia, a country with a variety of cuisines that are delicious and memorable. I want to take you through my favorite and special recipe that we enjoy on a new year celebration day. I am sure you will be amazed when you know that we just celebrated the 2013 Ethiopian new year a month ago, on September 11. There is a traditional food which is dedicated only for the new year; “Doro Wot” (chicken stew). Doro wat is an onion-based chicken stew from Ethiopia. If you walk into any Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurant around the world, you will undoubtedly be served this incredibly tasty dish. The recipe for Doro Wot includes:-

2 lbs/800 g chicken thighs and drumsticks

juice of 1 small lemon

6 tablespoons vegetable oil, clarified butter (ghee), or niter kibbeh (fragrant butter)

6 teaspoons berbere spice mix (or less, to taste)

6 large red onions (chopped)

2 to 3 garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)

1 inch of fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)

salt to taste

11 ounces/450 mL of water or chicken stock (add as required)

1 tablespoon garam masala

6 eggs (boiled and peeled)

Gather the ingredients and marinate the chicken pieces in the lemon juice. Next, heat 2 tablespoons of niter kibbeh, ghee, or vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, add the onions, and cook gently for an hour until reduced into a sweet paste. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. And add the remaining niter kibbeh, ghee, or vegetable oil. Add the berbere spice, followed by the ginger and garlic, and fry until fragrant. More berbere spice can be added depending on how much heat is desired. Then, add the chicken pieces to the pot along with the water or stock. Simmer on low heat for 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Halfway through, sprinkle the garam masala over the wat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the boiled eggs to the stew and stir to coat completely. Serve the Doro Wot on top of injera to enjoy it the traditional way. Alternatively, this can be enjoyed with Indian flatbread or rice.

This meal is a family meal and it’s served on a big platter for all family members to eat together. This brings love and togetherness for the family and will result in a happy house. When I see this cuisine, It makes me miss and remembers those precious new year days I celebrated with my family and friends. It creates a glimpse of a smile on my face when I think of this dish because it is served on the day that we children get our parent's blessings. This blessing is what helps me to get through the hard times in my life until now. Besides these glorious memories, the day of the new year is when you will start planning what to do with your life for the rest of the year. My mind will immediately start thinking about my life plans while I am eating Doro Wot. You can say that Doro Wot (chicken stew) sums up all the recollection of those times I discussed above in one.

To conclude, Doro Wot brings many memories and happiness to me. It helps me to keep my families and those moments with me everywhere I go. Now, I am far from home, I miss this meal every single time when the new year comes. But, thanks to my mother she taught me how to cook, thus I am trying to do this dish and enjoy my memories from home. If you try it one time, I am sure you all will love it and be addicted.