Atakilt wat, a vegetarian recipe from Ethiopia

Name: Atakilt wat
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ethiopia
Ingredients: 400 g potatoes, cut into large chunks; 3 carrots, cut into batons; ½ white cabbage, cut into wide ribbons; 1 large onion, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 cm fresh ginger, grated; 1 tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp berbere (or more to taste); 4 tbsp neutral oil; 150 ml water; 1 tsp salt

Method

Heat the oil in a large casserole and soften the onion over medium heat for 8 minutes without browning.
Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and berbere. Fry for 1 minute, stirring.
Add the carrots and potatoes, toss to coat them in the spices, then pour in the water and add the salt.
Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes.
Pile the cabbage on top without stirring, cover again and cook for another 15 minutes. The cabbage will release its water and collapse.
Stir gently, check that the potatoes are tender, and let the stew reduce uncovered for a few minutes if there is too much liquid.
Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with 100% teff injera or rice.

This is the mild element of an Ethiopian platter, a counterpoint to fiercer dishes like misir wat. Adjust the berbere to your taste, or use a pinch of paprika and chilli if you cannot find it.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the cabbage laid on top without stirring?

Sitting in a layer above the potatoes, the cabbage steams in its own moisture and keeps its wide ribbons. Stirred in from the start it releases water into the base of the pot, shreds into threads and turns the stew into soup. Stir only once, at the end.

Why so little water, only 150 ml?

The vegetables supply most of the liquid, the cabbage above all. The 150 ml only exist to get the covered cooking going without the spices catching. If too much juice remains at the end, a few uncovered minutes concentrate it around the vegetables.

Is this stew better made a day ahead?

Yes, an overnight rest helps: the potatoes finish absorbing the turmeric and berbere, and the flavours settle. It keeps three days in the fridge and reheats gently with a couple of spoonfuls of water, since it will have thickened.

Ethiopian cooking, vegetarian two days a week

How the Orthodox fasting calendar built a vegan gluten-free cuisine, and how to assemble your first shared injera platter at home.

Anti-inflammatory diet: what goes on the plate

The anti-inflammatory diet without a list of forbidden foods: the compounds actually studied, and existing dishes that already bring them together.

Atakilt wat

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

This recipe also appears in

Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Have you cooked this dish?

More recipes from Ethiopia

Buticha

Azifa

Timatim salata

Recipes in the same spirit