Red Lentil Stew (Misir Wot)

African · 50 min · Easy · 4 servings

Red Lentil Stew (Misir Wot)

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The Ethiopian red lentil stew. Almost nothing in it, and yet the berbere and a genuinely long onion cook do all the heavy lifting.

~430 cal per serving. Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Dry-cook the onions

    ⏱ 15 min

    Put the onions in a dry pan over medium-low heat with no oil at all and cook, stirring often, until they collapse and turn jammy. This sounds wrong and it is the single most important step.

  2. 2

    Add the oil and aromatics

    ⏱ 2 min

    Now add the oil, garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes until fragrant.

  3. 3

    Toast the berbere

    ⏱ 2 min

    Stir in the berbere and tomato purée and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. It will smell sharp and then turn rich and sweet: that's the cue to move on.

  4. 4

    Simmer the lentils

    ⏱ 25 min

    Add the lentils and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't catch, until the lentils have completely broken down into a thick purée.

  5. 5

    Finish

    Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt. It should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Loosen with a splash of water if it has gone too far.

Notes

Berbere blends vary wildly in heat. Start with 2 tbsp and work up. Serve with flatbread or rice.

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