Ethiopia | Stew

Shiro Wat

Ethiopian chickpea flour stew simmered with onion, garlic, berbere, and oil until smooth, spicy, and ready for injera.

Country
Ethiopia
Region
East Africa
Time
45 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
Explore Ethiopia recipes Browse AfroKitchen
Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for fasting meals, quick dinners, and injera platters.. Plan on a easy cook and about 45 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Injera, gomen, misir wat, or atkilt wat.

Regional lane

Injera and wot table. Stews, sauces, and flatbread built for communal injera service.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Pantry lane

teff, berbere, mitmita, niter kibbeh, split peas

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Shiro Wat recipe from Ethiopia
Shiro Wat finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Shiro Wat

Injera, gomen, misir wat, or atkilt wat.

Best route from here

Injera and wot table

Collections to keep cooking
Ethiopian Fasting Table
Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ethiopia
4 steps 10 min prep 35 min cook 45 min total easy
1
Cook the onion
Cook onion in oil until soft and lightly golden, then add garlic and berbere.
onion base 12:00
2
Whisk the shiro
Whisk shiro powder with 1 cup warm water until smooth.
whisk 03:00
3
Simmer smooth
Add the shiro mixture and remaining water to the pot while stirring. Simmer until thick and glossy.
Kitchen noteKeep the heat moderate so the flour cooks without sticking.
simmer 20:00
4
Adjust and serve
Adjust salt and thickness with hot water, then serve with injera.
finish 03:00

Some versions are mild and garlicky, while others are rich with berbere, niter kibbeh, or tomato.

Keep exploring

Cook around Shiro Wat

Follow country, category, collection, time, and pairing paths without turning the recipe page into a link farm.

Doro Wat recipe from Ethiopia Ethiopia Stew Doro Wat Ethiopian chicken and egg stew built on slow-cooked onions, berbere, tomato paste, and niter kibbeh. Time120 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyHard DietGluten Free RegionEast Africa Open recipe Gomen recipe from Ethiopia Ethiopia Side Gomen Ethiopian collard greens sauteed with onion, garlic, ginger, chile, and spiced oil until tender and fragrant. Time45 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionEast Africa Open recipe Tibs recipe from Ethiopia Ethiopia Main dish Tibs Ethiopian-style sauteed beef with onion, garlic, rosemary, berbere, niter kibbeh, and optional awaze for heat. Time45 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionEast Africa Open recipe Atkilt Wat recipe from Ethiopia Ethiopia Side Atkilt Wat Ethiopian cabbage, potato, and carrot stew seasoned with turmeric, onion, garlic, and ginger. Time55 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionEast Africa Open recipe
Browse AfroKitchen Explore Ethiopia recipes