Vegan Doro Wat
Doro Wat is a spicy, highly aromatic stew from Ethiopia. For my vegan version, I stick with tradition to use the two flavor bases -- berbere spice mix and niter kibbeh -- but use "meaty" vegetables instead of the traditional meat. Vegan, nut-free, gluten-free.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 214kcal
Ingredients
For the niter kibbeh
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup onions (minced)
- 1- inch knob ginger (grated or minced)
- 3 cloves garlic , grated or minced
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 pods green cardamom pods
For the Berbere spice mix
- ¼ cup dry red chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3 cloves
- 2 allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Other ingredients
- 8 oz tempeh
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 ½ pounds mushrooms crimini or portobello, halved or quartered if large
- 3 medium onions , finely chopped
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the niter kibbeh ingredients in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, reduce heat and let the oil simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Pass through a sieve and reserve the oil.
- Place the berbere spice mix ingredients in a spice blender and blend to a powder.
- Sprinkle the juice of the lemon on the tempeh cubes and mix.
- Heat a large saucepan. Add the onions and stir. When the onions start looking dry, add ¼ cup of water and cook until the mixture dries up. Keep adding a couple of tablespoons of water each time the onions dry and start to stick, stirring at frequent intervals, until the onions become golden-brown. Like I said earlier, this took me more than an hour on medium heat, but don't skip this step and hurry to add other ingredients because the roasted onions add a lot of flavor.
- Now add the tomato paste, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Berbere, ½ cup of water, and the Niter Kibbeh. Stir to mix and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the mushrooms and tempeh and stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil (add more water if the mixture is very dry), slap a lid on, lower the heat to simmer, and let the mixture cook about 15-20 minutes.
- Add the white wine, if you're using it, and simmer for another 10 minutes. If you're not adding wine, skip this step. Check and add salt as needed.
- Serve hot over rice or with some crusty bread. Tip: This tastes even better when you've allowed it to stand for a few hours, or overnight, to let the flavors meld together.
Nutrition
Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg