Vegetable Wat {Ethiopia}

I had initially planned to make Doro Wat (chicken wat), but I missed putting the chicken into the fridge when I got home from the grocery store the night before. So, it was sitting at room temperature for far too long. I dumped it in the garbage - with a little bit of cursing (in Italian! I only curse in Italian, so no one knows what I'm saying. And even if the boys repeat me, no one will understand them.) - and changed directions, using whatever vegetables I had. There is an Ethiopian vegetable stew that looked interesting, but I preferred the spice combination in the wat, so I flew by the seat of my pants on this one.

1 onion, diced

1 shallot, diced
1 head of cauliflower, shopped into bite-sized pieces
2 zucchini, chopped
4 potatoes, chopped
2 C tomato sauce
1-1/2 C water
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground paprika
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/2 t ground nutmeg
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, saute the onions and shallots in a splash of oil or a pat of butter. Add the potatoes and cook until just about fork tender. Add the cauliflower and zucchini and cook until they begin to soften. Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Season with the remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are completely soft. Serve with a dollop of iab and some injera.