Ethiopia

 Welcome to Ethiopia!  I don't know why, but ever since I was a young kid, Ethiopia fascinated me.   I don't know if it was the name, the fact that it was an African country, that they have cheetahs, or listening to them speak, but there was always something beautiful and mysterious about Ethiopia.  Turns out their food is good too!  But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  According to Google, the population of Ethiopia is 112.1 million people and the capital is Addas Ababa.  And their national dish is...

 

 

Doro Wat!

Let me tell you...the smells while cooking this meal were amazing!  My whole house smelled spicy and comforting.  There were a few steps before cooking the meal that I needed to do (make the spiced butter and Berbere Spice - those recipes are in the link) but overall, this was a very simple meal to make.  We had the pleasure of sharing it with some of our neighbors, and from our discussions, it was a hit!  They provided some Injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, to eat.  We weren't sure if it had flour in it, so I didn't try it, but Handsome Husband said that it tasted like a really strong sourdough bread.  We also had Fasolia with it, just to make sure we ate our veggies.  Here's what I did:

DORO WAT

3 tbsp Spiced Butter

2-3 Onions, sliced

Avocado Oil, as needed

2 tbsp Berbere Spice

8 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 inch Ginger, minced

3 C Water

8 Chicken Thighs, boneless (you can also piece a whole chicken)

1 tbsp Tomato Paste

1/2 tbsp Paprika

1 tbsp Basil, dried

6 Soft-Boiled Eggs, shells removed

1 Lemon's worth of lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In a large pot, add the spiced butter and onions over medium heat and stir until the onions are starting to caramelize.
   
3. When the onions are caramelized, add a touch of avocado oil, berbere spice, garlic and ginger.
4. Stir until well mixed and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add water, chicken, tomato paste, paprika, and basil, and cook until chicken is almost done, about 25 minutes.
6. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the soft-boiled eggs and lemon juice, and completely immerse the eggs in the sauce.
7. Serve warm, over injera bread.

(Source: Doro Wat)

FASOLIA

2 tbsp Avocado Oil

1 Onion, thinly sliced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Tomato, medium and ripe, diced

1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 tsp Turmeric

2 C Green Beans, fresh and cut in half

2 C Carrots, cut about the same size as the green beans

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and add the onions and garlic.
2. Saute until translucent and fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, and ginger, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add about 1/4 cup water, salt, pepper, carrots, and green beans.
5. Stir, cover, and cook until the carrots and green beans are tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Add more water as needed, and stir occasionally so the veggies don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Serve immediately. 

(Source: Fasolia)

The verdict?  Surprisingly, the Doro Wat wasn't as flavorful as it smelled.  That said, it was delicious, and a very comforting meal.  I think it would  be a great rainy-day meal.  The thighs were whole when I made it.  I think if I were to make it again, I would cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and make more of a chicken soup rather than a fork-and-knife meal.  However, the Neighborly Neighbors taught us that traditionally, this meal isn't eaten with any utensils!  The injera is used as a fork or spoon, and you use it to pick up the chicken to eat.  Who knew?!  The veggies also didn't have a strong flavor, but I really enjoyed them.  There was just enough flavor to make it interesting.  Overall, a solid, yummy meal! 

     

ME

Taste of Doro Wat (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Doro Wat (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

ME

Taste of Fasolia (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Fasolia (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 2

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

Another down!  Next time, meet us in Nauru!