Kūmara Wot
Yeshi Desta
(My Mother’s Kitchen)
Wot is an Ethiopian stew. This delicious kūmara stew is packed with lots of flavours. It’s spicy, sweet, rich and tasty. I love this dish because it’s easy, fast to make and cheap. It’s also vegan — we Ethiopians are plant-based for most of the year — and the flavours come together so well. You can eat it with injera (Ethiopian flatbread) or rice.
Serves 2-4
Cook time: 60 min
2 brown onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium kūmara, diced
2 tsp berbere (Ethiopian chilli blend)
1 cup crushed tomato
1/2 cup water to be added as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep vegetables by finely chopping onions and mincing the garlic and ginger.
Peel kūmara and cut into thick pieces.
To a large heated pot, add oil and onions. Once the onions begin to caramelise, add berbere spice. Stir well so the onions are coated.
Add garlic and ginger and a small splash of water to the pot, just enough to prevent burning.
Add crushed tomato and mix well. Add water slowly as necessary to prevent the mixture from burning.
Once the ingredients are well incorporated, add the diced kūmara and another splash of water. Bring to a simmer. Be careful not to add too much water — this dish should be thick and saucy.
Cover the pot with a lid and stir occasionally, adding more water as necessary.
Once the kūmara is tender, but still has some bite, the stew is ready. Serve with injera, rice or on its own. Enjoy.
Yeshi Desta is the founder of My Mother’s Kitchen (@my.mothers.kitchen). She loves sharing her culture and passion for cooking Ethiopian food with Aotearoa.