Around the World in Foodventures (Ethiopia: DORO WAT, MESIR WAT, and TELBA)

Have you ever had the first step of a recipe be to food process approximately 9 pounds of onions?  No?  Me neither -- until last night.  My husband's eyes were literally watering in the other room from the fumes (as I was for most certain full on crying in the kitchen) . . . I have jokingly taken to saying that onions are the national food of Ethiopia.  There was also so much stirring involved later on that I almost got a blister.  But it was all worth it.  

Doro Wat (a berbere-spiced chicken and egg stew) is usually reserved by home cooks for occasions such as special family gatherings, religious holidays, and weddings, partly because making it is very time-consuming; in this instance, it took me just about four hours total -- during which time I also made Mesir Wat (lentil stew) as a side dish, Telba (a flax seed and honey drink), and some plain white rice.  It all came together to form this beautiful meal at which we were lucky enough to have a friend come join us for the tasting:

I opted not to make Injera this time, even though it's integral to most Ethiopian meals, because I had already done so when we cooked from Eritrea.  And believe me, there was plenty of food without it! Here are the recipes I followed:

• Doro Wat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3s3NavOvZU
• Mesir Wat - https://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/mesir-wat-recipe
• Telba - https://www.whats4eats.com/beverages/telba-recipe

The flavor of the Doro Wat at first seemed more subdued that I would have expected, given the combination of very authentic spices and Niter Kibbeh purchased from a local market, plus how long it takes to cook -- but as we went on eating, it built up and was much more forward.  I don't know if this was a factor of my taste buds failing me in the beginning or something else -- but in the end, it was utterly delightful and I couldn't stop eating it.  The Mesir Wat was nicely spicy and mixed well with either the sauce from the Doro Wat or the plain white rice.  And the Telba, after chilling in the fridge for a few hours before serving, turned out a full-bodied way to cut through any spiciness if needed.

This meal, overall, was quite a lot of effort and time, but it was great.  I look forward to working through the leftovers and finding other things to put the extra Doro Wat sauce on. 

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain