Ethiopian Doro Tibs (Chicken Stir-Fry)

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Cut boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  2. 2Add half of the onion, ginger-garlic paste, salt, olive oil, black pepper, ground cardamom, and berbere to the chicken.
  3. 3Marinate the chicken.
  4. 4Make kibbeh by removing water and solids from butter to leave butter fat.
  5. 5Add turmeric, black cumin, besobela (sacred basil dried), white cumin, fenugreek, koseret, and Ethiopian cardamom to the clarified butter.
  6. 6Toast fenugreek until slightly brown, then add black and white cumin.
  7. 7Grind all spices.
  8. 8Melt butter slowly on low heat and simmer with spices for 25 to 30 minutes.
  9. 9Strain the kibbeh to remove leafy herbs.
  10. 10Refrigerate the kibbeh.
  11. 11Heat cast iron pot on high heat and add solidified kibbeh.
  12. 12Add the marinated chicken to the hot kibbeh and stir-fry.
  13. 13Add remaining onions, scallions, and jalapeno towards the end of cooking the chicken.
  14. 14For awaze sauce, combine 3-4 tablespoons of berbere with a little olive oil, salt to taste, and red wine.
  15. 15Mix until the consistency is very thick.
  16. 16Wash whole red lentils until the water is completely clear.
  17. 17Place a dutch oven on medium-high heat with no oil, add red onions, and let them sweat until water evaporates and they are golden brown and shrunk in size (about 10 minutes).
  18. 18Add ginger-garlic paste and oil to the onions.
  19. 19Add a small amount of tomato paste.
  20. 20Reduce heat slightly, add berbere (3-4 tablespoons) and other spices, constantly mixing and adding water to prevent burning.
  21. 21Add the washed lentils to the sauce and cook slowly without stirring too much.
  22. 22Turn a pot to medium-high heat and add veggie oil for tikel gomen.
  23. 23Add ginger and garlic, ensuring it's ginger and garlic forward.
  24. 24Add carrots first and cook them halfway.
  25. 25Add turmeric and salt to the carrots.
  26. 26Once carrots are halfway cooked, add cabbage.
  27. 27Cook cabbage until it's cooked down but still has a slight crunch (check in about 5 minutes).
  28. 28Heat a traditional shakla dist (clay pot) in the oven for a few minutes until completely hot and water sizzles when sprinkled.
  29. 29To plate, use injera as a base, placing meat (tibs) in the middle.
  30. 30Plate turmeric cabbage and lentil stew (misir wot) around the tibs.
  31. 31Add awaze paste on the side for dipping.

Ingredients

  • boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • onion
  • ginger-garlic paste
  • salt
  • olive oil
  • black pepper
  • ground cardamom
  • berbere
  • clarified butter (kibbeh)
  • turmeric
  • black cumin
  • besobela (sacred basil dried)
  • white cumin
  • fenugreek
  • koseret
  • Ethiopian cardamom (false cardamom)
  • scallion
  • jalapeno
  • awaze sauce
  • red wine
  • whole red lentils
  • red onions
  • tomato paste
  • water
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • potatoes
  • veggie oil
  • injera

Equipment

spice grinderdutch ovencast iron potstrainershakla dist (clay pot)

Tips

  • For clarified butter, simmer slowly and ensure leafy herbs are completely strained.
  • When cooking berbere, constantly mix and add water to prevent burning.
  • For misir wot, cook lentils with sauce slowly to infuse flavor and avoid over-stirring to prevent a porridge-like consistency.
  • For tikel gomen, be generous with oil when cooking onion and carrot, cook carrots halfway before adding cabbage.
  • Tikel gomen should have a slight crunch, not be completely soft.