Doro Wat with Quick Teff Injera

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

Ethiopia's national dish: chicken slow-simmered with a mountain of onions, spiced butter and berbere until the sauce is deep, glossy and fiery-sweet. Served with soft, tangy teff injera to tear and scoop, plus jammy whole eggs hiding in the pot.

Per serving: 785 kcal · 52.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• FOR THE QUICK INJERA:
• 200g teff flour (or 150g teff + 50g plain flour)
• 300ml warm water
• 150ml sparkling water
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• FOR THE NITER KIBBEH (spiced butter):
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2cm ginger, sliced
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• FOR THE DORO WAT:
• 4 large onions (about 800g), very finely chopped
• 8 bone-in, skinless chicken drumsticks and thighs
• 5 tbsp berbere spice blend
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 150ml dry red wine or chicken stock
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 eggs
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Make the injera batter first: whisk teff flour, warm water, yeast and salt into a smooth thin batter. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge for more sourness).
2. Make the niter kibbeh: melt the butter gently with shallot, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom and oregano. Simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes without browning, then strain into a jug and discard the solids.
3. Put the chopped onions in a wide heavy pot with no fat at all. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 25-30 minutes until collapsed, sticky and golden — this dry-frying is what makes the sauce.
4. Add 5 tbsp of the niter kibbeh, the garlic, ginger and berbere. Fry gently for 5 minutes until the spice smells toasted and the oil turns red. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.
5. Pour in the wine, scrape the base, then add the stock. Season with salt and simmer 10 minutes to a thick, glossy sauce.
6. Slash the chicken pieces to the bone and rub with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Nestle into the sauce, cover and simmer very gently for 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until falling from the bone.
7. Hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes, peel, prick all over with a fork and slide into the pot for the last 10 minutes. Stir in the ground cardamom and a last spoon of niter kibbeh.
8. Cook the injera: stir the sparkling water and vinegar into the batter. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium. Pour in a ladle, swirling to a thin round; cover and cook 2-3 minutes until the surface is set with tiny holes. Do not flip. Slide out and repeat, stacking as you go.
9. Lay injera on plates or a platter, spoon the doro wat over the centre with an egg each, and serve with extra injera for scooping.