Dulot Recipe

Clean and prep tripe

Rinse the tripe thoroughly under cold running water. If not pre-cleaned, rub with coarse salt and a splash of vinegar, then rinse again. Trim any excess fat or membranous bits and cut the tripe into bite-sized strips or 2–3 cm wide pieces (about 2 cm thick).

Blanch to remove impurities

Bring 1.5–2 liters of water to a vigorous boil in a large pot with 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add the tripe and blanch for 8–10 minutes. Skim foam and impurities with a slotted spoon. Drain tripe and discard the blanching water. Rinse the tripe once under hot running water.

Simmer until tender

Return the blanched tripe to the pot and cover with fresh water (about 1.5 liters). Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover partially, and cook until very tender, 1.5–2 hours depending on thickness. Check for tenderness after 60 minutes; continue cooking until pieces are soft but still hold shape. Reserve 250 ml of the cooking liquid (or use stock) for the final simmer; drain the rest.

Prepare aromatics

While the tripe simmers, peel and thinly slice the onions. Mince the garlic and finely chop the fresh chile. Chop the cilantro and measure the berbere and tomato paste.

Brown onions

In a heavy skillet or sauté pan, heat the ghee (or ghee + 1 tsp oil if needed) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 15–20 minutes. Adjust heat so they brown without burning; scrape browned bits from the pan as you go.

Add garlic, chile and berbere

Add the minced garlic and chopped chile to the onions and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the berbere spice and cook for another 1 minute to bloom the spices. If you are using tomato paste, add it now and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to deepen its flavor.

Combine tripe and sauce

Add the drained tender tripe pieces to the pan with the onion–berbere mixture. Stir gently to coat the tripe thoroughly with the spiced ghee mixture. Pour in 250 ml of the reserved tripe cooking liquid (or stock) to create a stew-like sauce.

Simmer to meld flavors

Bring the mixture to a low simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and let cook 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to marry and sauce to thicken slightly. Stir occasionally, scraping the pan bottom to incorporate browned bits. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.

Finish and garnish

Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped cilantro. Drizzle an extra tablespoon of warm ghee on top if desired. Let rest 5 minutes before serving to settle flavors.

Serve

Serve hot as a main course (Zara Main Course section) with injera, flatbread, or steamed rice. Provide extra berbere or lemon wedges at the table for guests to adjust heat and acidity.