Tsebhi Derho — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Eritrea's beloved chicken stew simmered in berbere-spiced tomato sauce with hard-boiled eggs, traditionally served on injera for holidays and special occasions.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces
6 hard-boiled eggs, scored
4 large onions, finely diced
3 tbsp berbere spice blend
3 tbsp tesmi (spiced clarified butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups water
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Dry-sauté diced onions in a heavy pot over medium-low heat for twenty-five minutes, stirring frequently until deeply caramelized to a dark brown paste.
2 Add tesmi, garlic, ginger, and berbere, stir continuously for three minutes to bloom the spices and create a fragrant base.
3 Stir in tomato paste and cook for two minutes, then add water and bring to a gentle simmer.
4 Add chicken pieces, ensuring they are submerged, cover and simmer on low heat for forty-five minutes until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
5 Add scored hard-boiled eggs and lemon juice, simmer uncovered for ten more minutes to let the sauce thicken and eggs absorb flavor.
6 Serve on a large injera-lined platter with eggs placed around the chicken, accompanied by additional injera for scooping.

Did You Know?

In Eritrea, tsebhi derho is considered the national dish and no wedding or holiday celebration is complete without it.