This Keto Doro Wat is a quicker, lower carb version of the Ethiopian stew. TONS of flavour - and heat! Serve with coconut cauliflower "rice".
In my pre-low carb days, we LOVED Ethiopian foods.
Whether in restaurants (in the “Before” times, anyway!) or when cooked at home, we could *destroy* a big spread of Ethiopian dishes, and go through a stack of Injera while we were at it.
Unfortunately, a lot of it is extremely carbby - which I realized during a recent craving.
Anything based with potatoes or beans - including our favourite, Yemisir Wat - Berbere Lentils - are pretty much out.
Injera - a fermented, spongy Ethiopian bread made from Teff flour - was similarly out. I have no idea how to replicate THAT one, but I’ll definitely be thinking on it.
Not one to give up when presented with a problem, though, I did look at one possibility to make low carb - Doro Wat.
Doro Wat is a very spicy chicken stew, usually served with hard boiled eggs in it. Yes, it’s generally served with injera...
... that aside, I could see the potential for getting doro wat on the menu again.
The thing is, most of the main ingredients in doro wat aren’t actually all that high in carbs.
Chicken and eggs? Perfectly fine.
Berbere -the spice mixture with a PUNCH - isn’t super high carb, either. (Note: You can buy it, or make it. Here's my >Berbere recipe!)
Keto Doro Wat
The real problem comes with the onion. Onions are shockingly high in carbs, and doro wat starts out with a *WILD* amount of onions.
So... that was where the carbs would be cut from.
As a result, this isn’t a super authentic doro wat recipe. Not only did I cut the amount of onion used, I replaced a percentage of it with green onion.
Green onions are NOT a part of authentic doro wat, but they are a fair amount lower in carb than regular onions, so it seemed like a good compromise.
Because green onions don’t behave the same way as regular onions when it comes to caramelizing, I was able to cut the cooking time significantly.
This does change the profile of the dish a bit, but really... I already knew this was an approximation, rather than the authentic dish.
... and it is a FANTASTIC approximation, at that!
While it’s not quite as deep in flavour as the source material - both as a result of cutting back on the onions, and cutting the cooking time - this version is fabulous.
Tons of flavour, and definitely hits the spot when craving Ethiopian food!
The Only Problem...
... the lack of injera!
I just haven’t yet figured out a good way to replicate injera.
Teff flour has unique properties as it is, and coming up with something that not only behaves the same way, but has that distinct, slightly sour taste?
... I need more time to work on it.
In the meantime, I figured out an easy - if maybe not the most authentic - workaround.
While not Ethiopian, coconut rice is a staple in Nigerian and Cameroonian cuisine. Same continent, anyway - just a few countries over.
(Man, I really hope I’m not diving into cultural appropriation / bastardization territory, here!)
... and the flavours and textures of coconut rice - well, coconut CAULIFLOWER rice, anyway - actually work really well as a base for this lower-carb doro wat.
I really hope I’m not insulting anyone or being offensive at all, my apologies if I am.
I just desperately miss good Ethiopian food, and needed to get creative to scratch that itch in a way that is healthy for me, at this moment.
Anyway, let’s get to it...
How to Make Keto Doro Wat
Full recipe follows at the end of this post, but here's the pictorial overview!
Trim chicken and place in a plastic zip baggie.
Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and ginger, pour over chicken. Seal baggie, allow to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
In a large pan, melt the butter. Cook the onions and green onions over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until sort of a khaki colour.
Add the berbere, stir well, and continue to cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
Add the chicken - marinade and all - to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium, and cook until chicken is browned on all sides.
Add broth, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes are up, taste the sauce and add more berbere if you’d like. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Peel the boiled eggs. Use a fork to gently prick each egg, all over the surface - not too deep, though!
Add eggs to the pan. Gently stir to cover the eggs in sauce, simmer another 10 minutes.
Serve hot, with coconut cauliflower rice.
Coconut Cauliflower Rice
4 cups shredded cauliflower (we used frozen)
½ cup Coconut milk (canned type)
Salt, to taste
Place cauliflower rice in a microwave safe dish, cook on high for 7 minutes or so, until desired texture is reached.
Stir in coconut milk until well combined. Season with salt, to taste.
Serve hot.
More International Keto Recipes
Looking to add some international flavour to your menu? Try some of these low-carb versions of my favourites!
Keto Cabbage Rolls
Keto Chicken Biryani
Low Carb Chicken Korma
Keto Gyoza [Potstickers]
Keto Manakish
Easy Keto Ramen Recipe
Keto Orange Chicken
Keto Pad Thai
Keto Perogies
Keto Sauerkraut Buns
Keto Sushi Rice
Low Carb Shanghai Noodles
Low Carb Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Paleo Stuffed Grape Leaves
Sugar Free Furikake Seasoning
Easy Keto Butter Chicken
... also, be sure to check out our International Keto Recipes for even more options!
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Keto Doro Wat
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Boneless skinless breasts
- 10 Garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ginger puree
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 Large onion chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped green onions
- ¼ cup Berbere
- 1 ½ cup Chicken broth
- Salt and pepper.
- 6 Hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Trim chicken and place in a plastic zip baggie.
- Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and ginger, pour over chicken. Seal baggie, allow to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours
- In a large pan, melt the butter. Cook the onions and green onions over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until sort of a khaki colour.
- Add the berbere, stir well, and continue to cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
- Add the chicken - marinade and all - to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium, and cook until chicken is browned on all sides.
- Add broth, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, taste the sauce and add more berbere if you’d like. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Peel the boiled eggs. Use a fork to gently prick each egg, all over the surface - not too deep, though!
- Add eggs to the pan. Gently stir to cover the eggs in sauce, simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot, with coconut cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
More Keto Soups & Stews
Looking for some more keto recipes for low carb soup and stew? I've got you...
Keto Italian Wedding Soup
Steak and Kidney Stew
Easy Keto Ramen
Hearty Keto Beef Stew
Keto Clam Chowder
Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
But wait, there's more! Keep an eye on my Keto Soups and Stews section for new recipes!
First of all, you go girl! I, too, am on keto due to chronic digestive issues and can rant endlessly about doctors and hospitals.
But my questions is: Have you tried Egglife wraps as injera? They're soft and spongy - maybe thicker than injera, but easier than trying to make it from scratch if you're tired and sick. They might have come out after this was written. They're expensive (like everything keto). But I can only eat very small amounts of cauliflower and coconut flour so I generally avoid both.
I actually haven't seen Egglife wraps here, I'm not sure if they're sold locally?
I'll keep an eye out and try it, though- thanks for the suggestion!