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.
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.