Ethiopian Chickpea Wat

Submitted by breezee1984

"This is a must-have recipe for those who love ethnic foods. This is a very filling option as well."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, cover and cook 10 minutes longer.
2. Remove and cover and stir in cayenne, paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom and tomato paste. Add chickpeas and water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and the flavor is developed, about 30 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. About 10 minutes before the stew is ready, stir in green peas and taste to adjust seasonings.

Reviews

[syndi22]

Just served this to 6 women after reading Cutting for Stone. It was universally the favorate Ethiopian recipe of the three. thanks

 

[mickeydownunder]

I really enjoyed this simple and versatile dish, TRUE!<br/>Was the first time I had Ethiopian Wat and based on the results, I will be trying more Ethiopian dishes too! Thank you!

 

[rpgaymer]

This made a great side dish for the African meal I made. I used half of a 6oz can of tomato paste instead of one tablespoon, and it was just right. I could definitely eat this as a vegetarian meal on top of rice or couscous - it's that good. It is, however, very different from the chickpea wat I've had at Ethiopian restaurants. It's more of an Americanized take on the dish, but that's ok with me as it still has some great exotic flavors. Thanks for sharing.

 

[AngieB713]

I tend to be VERY picky about herbs and spices in my food as well as being a total pansy about spicy food, so I was a little worried I'd make it and then end up not liking it--but I loved it! I did modify the recipe based on what I had available and what I like, although I left all the spices the same, so I did take quite a few liberties with the recipe. I didn't have red onion so I substituted leek, and I'm not a big fan of carrots so I used green bell pepper instead. I'd read some of the reviews that suggested using 3 tbls tomato paste instead of just the 1, so I did that too. I didn't have peas, so I shelled edamame and used that instead. Lastly, when I put in the edamame I also put in a little extra salt and stirred in about 1 cup of cooked quinoa. I had some locally made tortillas so I put the wat in those, sprinkled on some parmesan, and then rolled them up and had them like African burritos...! They were great--all the different spices gives it a unique, complex flavor, and while there was a little kick to it in terms of spiciness, it was subtle enough that it didn't bother me--which is rare when there's something spicy like cayenne that's been thrown in. I'm so excited to have leftovers tomorrow!

 

[Kimmore]

This was quite delicious. I, too, used 3 tbls tomato paste and veg broth. Also, I didn't have ground cardamom so 5 cardamom pods did the trick.