Injera with Doro Wat

Story

Injera, the spongy fermented flatbread central to Ethiopian and Eritrean dining, is made from teff, a grain indigenous to the Ethiopian highlands that has been cultivated since at least 4000 BC and is one of the earliest domesticated plants on earth; cooking pans (mitads) excavated at Ethiopian archaeological sites date injera's preparation to at least 600 AD. The batter undergoes a 48 to 72-hour wild fermentation using a starter called ersho, and the resulting bread functions simultaneously as plate, utensil, and food, with diners tearing pieces to scoop the stews placed on top. Doro wat, the spiced chicken stew served over it, is Ethiopia's de facto national dish and is inseparable from the country's Orthodox Christian calendar: its richness, built on slow-caramelised onions, niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and the multi-layered chilli blend berbere, makes it the centrepiece for breaking the long Lenten and pre-Christmas fasts of Genna and Fasika. The custom of placing a whole boiled egg, scored to absorb the sauce, in each guest's portion carries a specific symbolic weight: abundance, blessing and new life.

Ingredients

• FOR THE INJERA (start 2 to 3 days ahead)
• 300g teff flour
• 700ml water
• Pinch of salt
• FOR THE DORO WAT
• 1kg bone-in chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large red onions, very finely chopped
• 80g niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter, see method) or ghee
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons berbere spice blend
• 400ml chicken stock or water
• 4 to 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and scored with a fork
• Salt to taste
• FOR A QUICK BERBERE BLEND
• 2 tablespoons ground dried chilli or cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Half a teaspoon ground cardamom
• Half a teaspoon ground ginger
• Quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Quarter teaspoon ground cloves
• Quarter teaspoon ground allspice

Method

• 1. INJERA, DAY 1: Whisk the teff flour with 600ml of the water until smooth. Cover loosely with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours. The batter will bubble, smell pleasantly sour and develop a pinkish tinge as wild yeasts ferment it.
• 2. INJERA, COOK DAY: Stir the batter and check its consistency; it should pour like thin yoghurt. Whisk in the remaining 100ml of water and the salt if needed.
• 3. Heat a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter in a circular motion from the outside in, covering the surface. It should be quite thin.
• 4. Cover immediately with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the surface is set, the characteristic bubble 'eyes' have formed across it, and the edges lift easily. Do not flip. Slide onto a clean cloth or rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
• 5. DORO WAT: Rub the chicken pieces all over with the lemon juice and salt. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• 6. Mix the berbere blend ingredients together and set aside.
• 7. In a dry heavy pot over low to medium heat, cook the finely chopped onions with no oil at all, stirring constantly, for 30 to 40 minutes. They will release water, soften and gradually turn golden and jammy. This long, oil-free sweat of the onions is the foundation of the stew's depth and cannot be shortened.
• 8. Add the niter kibbeh or ghee and stir it through the onions. Cook for 5 minutes.
• 9. Add the garlic, ginger and berbere blend. Stir well to coat the onions in the spice and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, letting the spices toast lightly.
• 10. Pat the chicken pieces dry and add them to the pot. Turn to coat in the spiced onion base.
• 11. Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened to a rich, dark gravy.
• 12. Add the scored boiled eggs in the final 10 minutes, pressing them gently into the sauce to absorb its colour and flavour.
• 13. Taste and adjust salt. Serve by laying injera on a large platter and spooning the doro wat on top, with extra injera rolled and served alongside for scooping.

Common questions