ማድቤት · The Ethiopian Table

Ethiopian Cooking Without Vegetable Oil

In an Ethiopian madbet, flavor begins with niter kibbeh, golden butter simmered gently with garlic, ginger, and sacred basil until it turns clear and fragrant. Onions melt down for the better part of an hour before the berbere ever goes in. Nothing here is rushed, and vegetable oil has never once touched the pot.

Explore the Recipes
Niter Kibbeh◆ Ghee◆ Olive Oil
ቡና · How We Cook

Three Rules of the Madbet

ንጥር ቅቤ · nit'ir k'ibe

Niter Kibbeh First

Spiced clarified butter is the soul of this kitchen. Butter is simmered slowly with garlic, ginger, korerima, and koseret, then strained until clear and golden. It carries every wat that follows, the way it has for generations.

ወጥ · the stew

The Slow Wat

Red onions are cooked down in a dry pot, with no fat at all, until they collapse into sweetness. Only then do the kibbeh and berbere join them. Patience is the first ingredient in every stew we publish.

our one promise

Never Vegetable Oil

You will not find seed oils anywhere in these recipes. We cook the way Ethiopian home kitchens always have, with clarified butter, ghee, olive oil, and time over a low flame.

እንጀራ · From Our Collection

Recipes From the Madbet

Six dishes from the Ethiopian table, each one built on niter kibbeh, berbere, and a patient flame. Tear off a piece of injera and gather around.

Doro Wat, a deep red Ethiopian chicken stew
National Dish

Doro Wat

⏱ 2 hr 15 min🍽 6 servings🔥 Medium

Ethiopia's celebration stew. Chicken legs braised in a deep red berbere sauce built on slow cooked onions and niter kibbeh, finished with whole hard boiled eggs.

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs), skin removed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 large red onions, finely minced
  • 6 tbsp niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter)
  • 4 tbsp berbere spice blend
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
  • 1 tsp korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Rub the chicken with lemon juice and a little salt, then set aside while you start the sauce.
  2. Cook the minced onions in a dry heavy pot over medium low heat, stirring often, for 30 to 40 minutes until deeply soft and golden. Add a spoonful of water whenever they threaten to stick.
  3. Stir in the niter kibbeh, garlic, and ginger and cook 5 minutes. Add the berbere and cook 10 minutes more, stirring, until the sauce turns brick red and fragrant.
  4. Add the stock and simmer 10 minutes, then nestle in the chicken. Cover and braise on low for 45 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice.
  5. Prick each hard boiled egg a few times with a fork and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and clinging.
  6. Season with korerima and salt. Rest 10 minutes, then serve over injera with the eggs on top.
Misir Wat, spiced Ethiopian red lentil stew in a bowl
Lentil Stew

Misir Wat

⏱ 50 min🍽 4 servings🔥 Easy

Split red lentils simmered into a thick, warming stew with berbere and niter kibbeh. The everyday heart of the Ethiopian table.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups split red lentils, rinsed
  • 2 large red onions, finely diced
  • 4 tbsp niter kibbeh (or ghee)
  • 2½ tbsp berbere spice blend
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 cups water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • Fresh lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

  1. Cook the onions in a dry pot over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.
  2. Add the niter kibbeh, garlic, and ginger and cook 3 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the berbere and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, mashing the tomatoes into the sauce.
  4. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
  5. Cook uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down into a thick stew.
  6. Season with salt and serve warm over injera with lemon wedges on the side.
Gomen, Ethiopian braised collard greens
Garden Greens

Gomen Wat

⏱ 45 min🍽 4 servings🔥 Easy

Collard greens braised low and slow with niter kibbeh, ginger, and green chile until silky. The gentle green counterpoint to every spiced wat.

Ingredients

  • 2 large bunches collard greens, stemmed and chopped
  • 4 tbsp niter kibbeh (or ghee)
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, sliced
  • ½ tsp korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Melt the niter kibbeh in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook the onion 8 minutes until soft.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, and half the chiles and cook 2 minutes.
  3. Add the collard greens in batches, stirring each batch until it wilts before adding the next.
  4. Pour in the water, season with salt and korerima, and cover. Simmer on low 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are completely tender.
  5. Uncover and cook off any remaining liquid. Fold in the rest of the chiles.
  6. Finish with lemon juice and serve warm alongside misir wat and injera.
Assa Wat, Ethiopian fish stew with vegetables
From the Lakes

Assa Wat

⏱ 50 min🍽 4 servings🔥 Medium

A bright fish stew from Ethiopia's great lakes. Firm white fish simmered gently in a berbere and tomato sauce with olive oil and a finish of lime.

Ingredients

  • 700g firm white fish fillets (tilapia or cod), cut into large pieces
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp niter kibbeh
  • 2 red onions, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp berbere spice blend
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup fish stock or water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and fresh cilantro to finish

Instructions

  1. Cook the onions in a dry pot over medium low heat for 15 minutes until golden and soft.
  2. Add the olive oil, niter kibbeh, garlic, and ginger and cook 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in the berbere and tomatoes and cook 8 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens.
  4. Add the stock and simmer 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt.
  5. Slide in the fish pieces, spoon sauce over them, and simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
  6. Finish with lime juice and cilantro. Serve hot with injera or flatbread.
Himbasha, Ethiopian celebration bread
Celebration Bread

Himbasha

⏱ 2 hr 30 min🍽 8 servings🔥 Medium

A lightly sweet, cardamom scented round bread baked for holidays and family gatherings, brushed generously with melted butter as it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1¼ cups warm water
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
  • 1 tbsp black sesame or nigella seeds (optional)
  • ½ cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm water and let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Mix the flour, remaining sugar, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and melted butter and knead 10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Fold in the raisins if using.
  3. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.
  4. Press the dough into a buttered round pan about 2cm thick. Score a decorative wheel pattern on top with a knife and scatter with seeds. Rest 30 minutes.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
  6. Brush the warm loaf with melted butter, cool slightly, and cut into wedges. Wonderful with coffee.
Kitfo, Ethiopian minced beef with spiced butter
The Wild Card

Kitfo

⏱ 30 min🍽 4 servings🔥 Medium

Finely minced lean beef warmed through with plenty of niter kibbeh and fiery mitmita. A dish of honor served at Ethiopia's most festive tables.

Ingredients

  • 600g very fresh lean beef (round or sirloin), trimmed of all sinew
  • 6 tbsp niter kibbeh
  • 2 tbsp mitmita (Ethiopian hot spice blend)
  • 1 tsp korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)
  • ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (optional)
  • Ayib (fresh Ethiopian cheese) or mild farmer cheese, to serve
  • Gomen or steamed greens, to serve
  • Injera or flatbread, to serve

Instructions

  1. Chop the beef by hand with a sharp knife, or pulse briefly, until very finely minced. Keep it cold while you work.
  2. Warm the niter kibbeh in a small pan over the lowest heat until just melted. Stir in the mitmita, korerima, and salt and let the spices bloom 2 minutes.
  3. Place the beef in a warm bowl and pour the spiced butter over it.
  4. Fold gently until every bit of meat glistens. For fully cooked kitfo (leb leb), return the mixture to the pan and stir over low heat until cooked to your liking.
  5. Taste and adjust the salt and mitmita.
  6. Serve right away with ayib, gomen, and plenty of injera for scooping.
ጉርሻ · Our Kitchen

A Table Meant for Sharing

Renirs Madbet is a small editorial kitchen devoted to the home cooking of Ethiopia. We write down the dishes the way they are actually made: onions cooked dry until they surrender, butter clarified with spices until it glows, stews given the hours they ask for.

Every recipe we publish is tested in a home kitchen and cooked only with the fats this cuisine has always trusted, niter kibbeh, ghee, olive oil, and butter. Vegetable oil has no seat at this table.

In Ethiopia there is a gesture called gursha, placing the best bite directly into the hand of someone you love. That is the spirit we cook in, and the reason everything here is served on one shared plate.

Hands sharing food around a communal table