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Ye-fyel wat
Ye-fyel wat (የፍየል ወጥ): goat on the bone stewed slowly in a deep red berbere and onion sauce
Goat is the everyday meat across Ethiopia's eastern lowlands, where herds do better than cattle in the dry heat, and a pot of ye-fyel wat marks holidays, Eid and the arrival of guests. The meat is cut small on the bone and cooked slowly in a dark, glossy sauce built on a mountain of onions and plenty of berbere, so it is spicy, deeply savoury and slightly sweet, with the faint gaminess of goat coming through. It is eaten from a shared platter of injera, often with a fresh salad of tomato and chilli on the side. This version is cooked in oil and is dairy free. The mistake to avoid is rushing the onions: if they are not cooked down for a good 20 minutes the sauce stays thin and sharp. Chef's tip: make it a day ahead; goat wat thickens and tastes even better after a night in the fridge.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
- 4 red onionsvery finely chopped or blitzed
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅞ oz fresh gingerfinely grated
- 4 tbsp berberesee our recipe
- 2 ⅝ lb goat meat on the boneshoulder or leg, cut into 4 cm pieces by the butcher; lamb works too
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mekeleshasee our recipe, or garam masala
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅝ lb goat meat on the bone, pat dry and rub with 2 tbsp lemon juice. Keep it in the fridge while you start the sauce.
Step 2: Put 4 red onions in a large heavy pot without any fat and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often and adding a spoon of water if it catches, until it is reduced, soft and dark golden.
20 minStep 3: Add 6 tbsp vegetable oil, 6 garlic cloves and ⅞ oz fresh ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture looks glossy and jammy.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 4 tbsp berbere and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, adding splashes of water to stop it sticking, until the paste is a deep brick red and the oil starts to separate.
10 minStep 5: Add the goat and turn it in the sauce for 5 minutes until coated and lightly browned.
5 minStep 6: Pour in 3 ¼ cups hot water, add 1 ½ tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over a low heat for 1½ hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until the meat is very tender and pulls easily from the bone and the oil pools on the surface.
90 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tsp mekelesha, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken a little more, and taste for salt. Serve hot with injera.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ye-fyel wat take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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