Atakilt Wat

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot and cook the onions over medium-low for 10 minutes until soft and translucent.

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2. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and cumin and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the oil turns deep yellow.

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3. Add the carrots and potatoes with the salt and the water, cover, and cook 12 minutes.

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4. Pile the cabbage on top, cover again and cook 12 minutes more without stirring — it will collapse down into the pot.

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5. Fold everything together gently once, and cook uncovered 5 minutes to drive off the last of the liquid.

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6. Season with pepper and check the salt. It should taste sweet and gently spiced, never hot.

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Chef’s Tips

• No chilli. If you add berbere you have made a different dish, and a good one, but not this one.
• Add the cabbage on top rather than mixed in, and leave it alone. Stirred early it steams into mush.
• Be generous with the oil. It is what carries the turmeric and it is the traditional quantity.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Injera, to eat it with
• Misir wat and gomen alongside
• Ethiopian coffee afterwards

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and freeze 3 months. It is better on the second day, and is eaten at room temperature as often as hot.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.