ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW

ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW

#SIAintheKitchen

I think this may be my favourite lentil stew I’ve ever made. It’s definitely surpassed my love for Indian dahl.

I hadn’t even tried misir wat, or Ethiopian lentil stew, until maybe four or five years ago. I had always passed by these Ethiopian restaurants on Commercial Drive but it wasn’t until my childhood friend, Egon, came to visit me in the city. I hadn’t seen him in a year since he now resides in Toronto (at the time, he was living in Waterloo, ON for school) and he called me up and we decided to try Ethiopian food for the first time.

Rainbow-hued curries all dotted along injera, a spongey, gluten-less bread that resembles a rolled up towel, honeyed wine - I was in heaven. Each curry had their own distinct taste and blend of spices - they were all so different. But there was a distinct flavour in it that I just couldn’t put my finger on. I later then found out that the spice blend I was referring to was Berbere spice.

Berbere spice is a common spice blend found in Ethiopian foods. Cinnamon, chilies, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, garlic, onion…. the list goes on and on. And of course, each person has their own spice blend. I didn’t know what it was so I just went ahead and bought my own.

Now, I don’t want to call my version an authentic version of misir wat - it’s not. But it’s super comforting and quick to make and full of nutrients and protein. Keep in mind I used fancy green lentils or French Puy lentils as they retain their shape and don’t expand too much in the cooking process. I repeat you must use French The usage of homemade stock here is also a little bit of a game changer but you can also opt for canned or boxed if you don’t have any on-hand.

ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW - makes 4 - 6 servings

• 3 cups green French Puy lentils

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp Berbere spice

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes

• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper, as needed

• Soak your lentils overnight on the counter in a bowl of cold water.

1. In the morning, drain your lentils and set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil of over medium-high heat until glistening. Add in the onions and the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add in the spices and toast for another minute. Add in the lentils and stir the tomato paste and mix until well-combined. Pour in the tomato paste and add in the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 30 - 40 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and injera.