Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew, better known as Misir wot, is one of Ethiopia’s well known dishes. Healthy, protein packed, and richly spiced, Misir Wot is a truly memorable satisfying dish.

Authentic Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew courtesy of That Green Lyfe

I'm participating in the 2021 Black History Virtual Potluck #BHMVP2021. A collaborative menu of recipes contributed by 40+black bloggers from around the globe in honor of Black History Month.

See a sampling of some of the amazing participant recipes at the bottom of this post!

In honor of Black History Month, I decided to whip up one my favorite African dishes, Ethiopian red lentil stew, aka, MISIR WOT!

Authentic Vegetarian Ethiopian Feast courtesy of That Green Lyfe.jpg

(Photo above: Vegetarian Ethiopian Feast made by yours truly!)

Y’all, I’ve had my fair share of Misir Wot in authentic Ethiopian restaurants in Los Angeles, and when I tell you that this recipe tastes just like it came out of Merkato’s kitchen, honeeeeeeeeeey, please believe! You will NOT be disappointed.

I took my time on it….

I soaked and rinsed the red lentils until the water ran clear.

Finely chopped my red onions and tomatoes, minced the garlic. microplaned the ginger, and got everything in order. I just felt like I needed to give this dish the extra special attention it deserved. And guess what? It sure did taste like it! Whew!

Here’s a run down on what to do after you prep your ingredients:

Sweat the onions

Add the niter kibbeh

Add garlic + ginger

Stir in the red lentils and berbere (I added more nitter kibbeh here)

Add chopped tomatoes and stir

Next add in the water and stir until combined

Simmer and stir occasionally. Add in 1 more cup of water (if needed). I also added in more berbere during this step.

Simmer and stir occasionally until lentils reach a creamy stew consistency.

Finally, taste FIRST (especially of your berbere spice blend already has salt in it….then add desired amount of pink salt.

Oh and did I mention that this Misir Wot freezes well? Here’s how I did it.

First, I allowed the stew to cool then I poured it in a gallon size freezer bag after pushing out as much air out as I could.

Fold the bag over, put into a second freezer bag (you know…for extra protection), then fold that bag over.

Place in the Freezer for up to 5 months.

When ready to eat, thaw stew in refrigerator overnight. For quick method, submerge bag in a large bowl of lukewarm to room temperature water.

Aside from the love and care I put into this Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew, I credit the authentic taste to both the berbere spice mix and homemade niter kebbeh. These two items are necessary and non-negotiable when preparing authentic tasting Ethiopian cuisine at home.

Buy them pre-made:

Pre-made Berbere

Pre-made Niter Kibbeh

Check out my homemade Niter Kibbeh recipe here:

Homemade Niter Kibbeh

Authentic Niter Kibbeh recipe photo courtesy of That Green Lyfe.jpg

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More from That Green Lyfe’s Kitchen:

Vegan Red Red Stew (Spicy Ghanaian Black-Eyed Peas

Mujadara: Lebanese Lentils, Rice and Carmelized Onions

Mango Dal: Indian-Style Split Peas w/ Mango

Recipe

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Authentic Misir Wot | Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew, better known as Misir wot, is one of Ethiopia's well known entrees. Healthy, protein packed, and richly spiced, Misir Wot is a truly memorable satisfying dish.

Course Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine Ethiopian

Keyword African recipes, berbere, ethiopian recipes, lentils, vegetarian, wfpb, wot

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils use organic if possible
1 medium purple onion minced
3 cloves garlic (minced) use 4 cloves if desired
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger I used a microplane
1 medium fresh tomato diced
4 tablespoons niter kibbeh
2.5 – 3 cups water use more or less to achieve stew-like consistency
4 tablespoons berbere spice use more or less if desired
pink salt to taste add at the end (AFTER tasting)

Instructions

Cover lentils in water and soak them while you chop your veggies (onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato).
Pre-heat pot to low-medium heat (do not add any oil).
Set veggies aside then rinse lentils until water runs clear. Drain and set lentils aside.
Sweat onions in pot. If onions begin to stick, add a little water.
Next, add niter kibbeh (Ethiopian ghee), garlic, and ginger. Saute' for 3-5 minutes.
Add in berbere spice, lentils, and diced tomato and mix well for 3 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups of water (reserve remainder of water for later). Cover and simmer 20-30 min, stirring occasionally.
Check lentils and add in more water ½ cup at a time ONLY IF NEEDED to reach desired stew consistency OR if the misir wot is beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Note: If you happen to use just a tad more water than necessary and your wot is a bit "soupy", cover and simmer on low heat until stew like consistency is reached. (See picture in post for reference)
When stew consistency is reached, TASTE FIRST then assess whether salt is needed and how much.
Note: This depends on your berbere spice mix. If you bought it pre-made, it may already have salt in it, so, the salt you add in at the end and how much is needed is based on your preference. In this recipe, I only add in approx. 2 pinches of salt).
Serve or injera or warm brown, jasmine, or basmati rice.
Store in refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days.
This recipe freezes well–up to 5 or 6 months. See post for freezer instructions and pictures.