Misir Wat
A red lentil stew shared genuinely across both Ethiopian and Eritrean highland cuisine, a staple of the Orthodox Christian fasting calendar since its standard preparation uses oil rather than butter, making it naturally vegan. It's genuinely distinct from the site's existing Shiro: shiro is made from ground chickpea or broad-bean flour whisked into a smooth, thick paste, while misir wat is built on whole or split red lentils, simmered until tender but keeping real texture, colored and flavored directly with berbere over a base of onions and tomato. Different legume, different processing, different final texture.
Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 3-4 tbsp berbere spice blend
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
Steps
- Cook the onions in oil over low heat until deeply softened, 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and berbere, and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook briefly, then add the lentils and water.
- Simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the stew has thickened.
- Serve with injera.