Doro Wat

What it really is

Ethiopian chicken stew slowly cooked with berbere-seasoned onion sauce and commonly finished with hard-boiled eggs.

The onion sauce is cooked down with berbere, and the stew is commonly finished with hard-boiled eggs. Ingredients and preparation vary by household and region.

Doro wat is an Ethiopian chicken stew built around onions cooked down with berbere and commonly served with hard-boiled eggs. It is a prominent Ethiopian dish. The onions form the thick base of the sauce; berbere contributes the warm red seasoning. Chicken pieces simmer in that sauce until cooked through, and eggs are often added near the end so they take on some of the flavour. The proportion of spice and richness differs from one recipe to another.

The stew is often served with injera, whose soft, slightly tangy surface helps scoop up the sauce. A shared meal may include other dishes, but those should be listed separately rather than folded into doro wat’s definition. Egg is a common garnish and a major allergen; it should be named as included or optional. The dish has an Ethiopian identity and core preparation, but no one household method is universal. Some versions use more berbere and become markedly hot; others are milder. Menus should describe the heat and whether eggs and injera are part of the serving. Chicken stock, clarified butter and other additions can also affect dietary suitability, so the actual recipe remains controlling.

How it's served

• Serve hot with injera to scoop up the thick sauce. Hard-boiled eggs may be served in the stew.

How to write it on the menu

• Preserve the local dish name and explain the defining ingredients plainly.
• State the preparation and accompaniments actually offered.
• Confirm ingredients and cross-contact practices with the kitchen before making allergen claims.