While I was in Ethiopia, I enjoyed many delicious vegetarian dishes. This recipe for misir wat, spiced red lentils, really tasted like I remember from Ethiopia. Also, in London there are some excellent Ethiopian restaurants where you can also taste this dish. The ingredients are mostly easy to find at a supermarket. However, I did have to go to a special Ethiopian shop to find the berbere and mekelesha kimem spices. They are also sold online if you do not have a shop nearby. Although the clarified butter can be substituted, the spices are necessary to have authentic flavour.
When I made this recipe for misir wat, I served it with injera, spongey bread, and other sides, gomen wat and shiro wat.
Ingredients
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp niter kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
5- 7 Tbsp berbere spice blend
1 large tomato, skinned and deseeded then finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 cup dried red lentils
350 ml water
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp mekelesha kimem spice blend
Salt to taste
Add more water as needed to reach your preferred consistency
Instructions
First, in a large pot, cook the onions over medium heat until caramelized. Then add vegetable oil and niter kibbeh to the pot and continue cooking. Gradually add the berbere spice to the pot, stirring well. You can adjust the amount of seasoning to your taste. Add small amounts of water in between to prevent burning.
Next, add the chopped tomato to the pot and mix well. Continue sautéing until the mixture becomes a consistent sauce. Add minced garlic and ginger to the pot and sauté for a few more minutes.
Wash the lentils and add them to the pot with 350 ml water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the lentils cook, covered, for at least 30 minutes. The lentils should be tender. Mix in the mekelesha kimem and cardamom, adjusting the quantities to your taste. Add water if the mixture looks too thick, but it should not be too watery or it will make the injera soggy. Cook for longer without the lid to dry out the lentil mixture.
Finally, when the lentils are cooked, season with salt to taste. Serve with injera.
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