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Home » Blog » Recipes » Atakilt Wat (Ethiopian Cabbage Stew)

Atakilt Wat (Ethiopian Cabbage Stew)

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One of my favorite comfort foods is Atakilt Wat (or Atkilt), a spiced Ethiopian vegetable stew filled with tender cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. This healthy version happens to be Whole30-friendly and so dang tasty!

A shot of a bowl of Whole30-friendly Atkilt (Spiced Ethiopian Vegetable Stew) in a blue bowl.

Autumn may trigger pumpkin spice cravings in most folks, but for me? Not so much. I yearn instead for hearty Ethiopian fare. It’s not just because I’m contrary by nature, like my mom. (I know you’re shaking your head, mom, but it’s true.) As longtime readers know from my Doro Wat recipe post, I fell in love with Ethiopian cuisine during my first semester in college. Naturally, the return of crisp, fall weather always stirs up memories of chowing on comforting stews at my favorite Ethiopian joints in Berkeley.

In other words, I’m feeling old and wistful about my glory days.

Spooning paleo Atkilt (Spiced Ethiopian Vegetable Stew), a tasty blend of cabbage, carrots, and potatoes into a bowl.

Thankfully, to scratch that nostalgic itch, I can turn to my review copy of Chef Peter Servold’s Paleo By Season. For those of you who don’t know Pete, he’s the classically trained chef behind Pete’s Paleo, a fantastic Paleo meal service that ships all over the U.S. Like all the best chefs, Peter knows that the quality of a dish hinges on the use of fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. And in his beautiful cookbook, Pete groups his recipes by season (hence the title!) so that readers can cook the best of the available bounty.

A shot of the cookbook, Paleo By Season, and the vegetables used to make Whole30-friendly Atkilt.

Flipping through the “Fall” section of Pete’s cookbook, I yelped. I’d discovered not one, but three Ethiopian recipes. My favorite of this trio happens to be the simplest: Atakilt, a humble spiced root vegetable stew. I’d tinkered with my own recipe in the past, but I never quite nailed the flavor combination—and my attempts sometimes came out overly mushy, too.

Thankfully, early in his career, Pete worked at an Ethiopian restaurant—and not surprisingly, his version of Atkilt is spot-on. I was instantly transported back to my days as a wide-eyed freshman at Cal. All that was missing was my dorky tie-dyed leggings, jangly Telegraph Avenue jewelry, and cockroach-kickin’ Doc Martens boots.

Ready to check out Pete’s recipe?

The Paleo By Season cookbook is opened up to the Atkilt (Ethiopian Spiced Vegetable Stew) recipe on a table with potatoes, onion, and carrots.

Time to make Atakilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew!

Serves 6

Here’s what to gather:

  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 small green cabbage (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 medium carrots (1 pound), cut into 1-inch rounds
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1¾ pounds white potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (you can substitute cauliflower florets if you don’t eat potatoes—but hey, did you hear that potatoes are now Whole30-approved?)
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Here’s what you do:

Heat the ghee and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Someone adding a spoonful of ghee to a pot.

While the fat is heating, prep all the veggies.

Someone chopping up cabbage on a cutting board.

(Or, if you’re a slow chopper like me, you can finish slicing your vegetables before you heat up the fat in the pot. Not all of us are Le Cordon Bleu-trained chefs, people.)

An overhead shot of the prepped vegetables to make paleo Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew.

Once the saucepan is hot, add the onions, cabbage, carrots…

Someone stirring cabbage in a pot for ataklit ethopian vegetable stew.

…and 2 teaspoons of the salt.

Adding some salt to a saucepan filled with vegetables for atakilt.

Give everything a good stir and then cover the pot. Cook the vegetables undisturbed for 10 minutes. (If your stove runs hot, you can turn down the heat to medium.)

Someone placing a lid on a pot.

After the 10 minutes have elapsed…

A pot of paleo Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew is being stirred by a yellow spatula.

…toss in the potatoes (or cauliflower)…

Adding cubed potatoes to a pot.

…and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, turmeric, and cumin.

An overhead shot of the spices used to season paleo Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew in a small bowl.

Pouring the spices into a pot of paleo Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew.

Add some freshly ground black pepper and stir well.

An overhead shot of a pot of Whole30-friendly Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew.

Replace the lid, decrease the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes or until all vegetables are fork-tender. (Using cauliflower? Check for tenderness after 15 minutes.)

A fork slicing through a piece of cooked potato in Whole30 Atkilt Ethiopian Vegetable Stew.

It’s Paleo comfort food with an east African spin!

An overhead shot of a bowl of paleo and Whole30-friendly Atkilt (Spiced Ethiopian Vegetable Stew)

Thanks, Pete, for bringing me back half a lifetime ago, before I had to worry about feeding a family or paying down the mortgage. Ah, youth.

Want to make a quick and easy version of Atakilt Wat in an Instant Pot? Go here.

Want a great Ethiopian main course to serve this Whole30 atkilt? Make my paleo Doro Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew)!

(First published 9/17/14.)


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


 PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

An overhead shot of a bowl of Paleo Atkilt (Spiced Ethiopian Vegetable Stew)
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Atkilt (Ethiopian Vegetable Stew)

One of my favorite comfort foods is Atkilt, a spiced Ethiopian vegetable stew filled with tender cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. This healthy version happens to be Whole30-friendly and so dang tasty!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Keyword: gluten-free, paleo, Primal, vegetable stew, Vegetarian, Whole30
Servings: 6
Calories: 228kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 small cabbage cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 medium carrots cut into 1-inch rounds
  • 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
  • 1¾ pounds white potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes (you can substitute cauliflower florets if you don’t eat potatoes—but hey, did you hear that potatoes are now Whole30-approved?)
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Heat the ghee and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the saucepan is hot, add the onions, cabbage, carrots, and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
  • Stir everything and then cover the pot. Cook the vegetables undisturbed for 10 minutes. (If your stove runs hot, you can turn down the heat to medium.)
  • After the 10 minutes have elapsed, toss in the potatoes (or cauliflower) and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, turmeric, and cumin. Add some freshly ground black pepper and stir well.
  • Replace the lid, decrease the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes or until all vegetables are fork-tender. (Using cauliflower? Check for tenderness after 15 minutes.)
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with Doro Wat, Ethiopian Chicken Stew!

Notes

Want to make this dish in an Instant Pot? Go here for the recipe!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 9g
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brittany Parker says

    September 26, 2020 at 8:41 pm

    5 stars
    This has become a staple in our house.

    Reply
  2. Connie says

    October 2, 2020 at 9:16 pm

    What is ghee? I made the dish without ghee and it still was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. My husband loved it and so did I.

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      October 3, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      Ghee is clarified butter.

      Reply

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