Misir Wat — Ethiopian Red Lentils
Ethiopian red lentils stewed with berbere and onion until thick, rich and deeply spiced — the everyday fasting-day staple.
Method
- Rinse the lentils in several changes of cold water until the water runs almost clear, then drain. This removes the starch that otherwise makes the stew gluey.
- Cook the onions in a dry heavy pot over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have given up their water and turned soft and golden.
- Add the oil and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are glossy and starting to stick lightly to the pot.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the berbere and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture darkens and smells toasted rather than raw.
- Add the drained lentils and stir to coat them in the spice base.
- Pour in the water, add the salt and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the base so nothing catches. Add splashes of hot water if it thickens before the lentils soften.
- The wat is ready when the lentils have completely broken down, the stew holds a furrow when you drag a spoon through it, and the oil glistens at the edges.
- Taste and adjust salt and berbere, then rest for 5 minutes before serving with injera.
How to make Misir Wat — Ethiopian Red Lentils
Misir wat is the dish that proves Ethiopian cooking does not need meat to be rich. During the fasting periods of the Orthodox calendar, when animal products are set aside for weeks at a time, it anchors the table alongside stewed greens, cabbage and split peas.
Why the lentils collapse
- Advertisement -
Split red lentils are used precisely because they break down. There is no need to keep them intact; the finished stew should be thick and almost purée-like, holding the shape of a spoon mark. Whole brown or green lentils will not give the same texture.
Control the heat level
Berbere blends vary from mildly warm to genuinely fiery. Start with two tablespoons, taste after the spice has cooked out, and add more at the end if you want it hotter. Cooking the spice in oil for several minutes before any water goes in is what removes its raw, dusty edge.
Vegan by default
Made with oil rather than niter kibbeh, misir wat is entirely plant-based, which is why it features so heavily on fasting-day menus and on the vegetarian combination platters served in Ethiopian restaurants.
Storage
The stew thickens considerably as it cools and keeps for four days refrigerated. Loosen with hot water when reheating, and taste again; the spices settle and often need a little salt to wake back up.
Traditional Ethiopian cookery; misir wat is a mainstay of Orthodox fasting days, when animal products are avoided. Editorially researched from widely documented preparations, and not kitchen-tested by Axadle.
Naturally free from gluten, dairy and nuts when made with oil. Niter kibbeh adds dairy. Check your berbere blend for added wheat flour.
Join the conversation