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Vegetarian, Africa and overseas

Dinich wat with injera

Dinich wat is an Ethiopian stew of potatoes and carrots simmered in a berbere sauce, served over injera. It serves 4, takes 55 minutes, and is easy to make for €1.70 per person. The key is cooking the onions dry for a long time before adding anything else.

Tonight, Ethiopia comes to your table with dinich wat, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes simmered with berbere and onions, served over injera.

Dinich wat with injera
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.70
Calories per person
760 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Dinich wat is all about a deep red, richly spiced sauce where potatoes and carrots turn tender without falling apart. Berbere gives it character without necessarily being very hot, and fresh ginger adds a bright note that wakes up the whole dish. Injera, that slightly tangy flatbread, soaks up the sauce and is meant to be eaten with your hands.

It's a great choice for a weeknight when you want something different without spending hours in the kitchen, since potatoes and carrots are pantry staples you likely already have. Kids tend to enjoy it once you ease up on the berbere, and it's an easy dish to share, everyone digging in straight from the pan.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 900 g
  • Carrots 3
  • Onion 4
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 1 tbsp

Pantry

  • Berbere spice blend 2 tbsp
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Injera 8
  • Oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Finely chop the onions and cook them dry in a saucepan, stirring often. 15 min

    Add a spoonful of water as soon as they start to stick.

  2. Add the oil, chopped garlic and ginger, tomato paste and berbere, and cook for a few minutes. 5 min

    If you don't have berbere, mix paprika, chili, cumin, ginger and a touch of cinnamon.

  3. Pour in 300 ml of water and let simmer until you get a thick sauce. 10 min

    The sauce should turn deep red and smell strongly spiced.

  4. Add the potatoes and carrots cut into large chunks, season with salt and cover. 25 min

    Mash a piece of potato into the sauce to thicken it.

  5. Warm the injera and serve the dinich wat on top.

    If you can't find injera, thin crepes or pita breads work well instead.

Our tips to get it right

  • Chop the onions as finely as you can, they should almost melt while cooking dry, which is what gives the sauce its body.
  • Taste your berbere before measuring it out, some blends are much spicier than others, so adjust the amount accordingly.
  • Let the sauce reduce slowly before adding the vegetables, it should already smell strong and coat the back of a spoon.

The variations

  • Swap the carrots for shredded white cabbage for a softer texture and a milder flavor.
  • Add cooked red lentils on the side for a heartier, still meat free version.
  • For kids, cut the berbere in half and add a bit of sweet paprika to keep the color without the heat.

What to serve it with

  • Extra injera for scooping
  • Tomato and red onion salad
  • Spiced black tea

Storage

Dinich wat keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, without the injera, for up to 2 months. Reheat it gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace injera if you can't find it?

Yes, thin crepes or pita breads work well as a substitute. The flavor will be a bit less tangy, but they still work for scooping up the sauce.

How do you tone down the dish if the berbere is too spicy?

Use less berbere and add sweet paprika instead to keep the color. A spoonful of yogurt or cream stirred in at the end also helps calm the heat.

Can you make dinich wat ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually even better reheated the next day, once the flavors have had time to blend. Make it up to 2 days ahead and reheat gently before serving.

Why do you need to cook the onions so long at the start?

This dry cooking lets the onions caramelize slowly and release their full sweetness into the sauce. It's the step that makes the difference between a flat wat and a deeply flavored one.

How long does it take to make a dinich wat with injera?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a dinich wat with injera?

About 760 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a dinich wat with injera cost?

About €1.70 per serving, or €6.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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