VegetiveFrançais

Misir wot

Local name : ምስር ወጥ

Ethiopia's red lentil stew, deep and fiery red with berbere, made to be scooped up with injera.

VeganGluten-free#lentils#berbere#stew#spicy#injera
Misir wot

Photo : Dawityirga · CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep
10 min
Cook
45 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy

Method

  1. Dry-fry the onions in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. This traditional step concentrates their flavour.
  2. Add the oil, garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the berbere and tomato purée. Cook gently for 2 minutes to toast the spices without burning them.
  4. Add the rinsed lentils and the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until you have a thick stew.
  5. Season with salt, taste, and add more berbere if you like more heat.
  6. Serve over injera, or with rice, alongside sautéed greens.

Berbere is the foundational spice blend of Ethiopian cooking: chilli, fenugreek, cardamom, ginger, ajwain. You will find it in African grocers and online.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories
419 kcal
Protein
17.8 g
Fat
16.7 g
Carbohydrate
54.8 g
Fibre
11.8 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the onions first cooked dry, with no fat?

That is the traditional method: without oil the onions release their water and concentrate in flavour instead of frying. The oil goes in afterwards, once they are soft. Stir regularly so they do not catch on the pan.

What is berbere and can it be replaced?

It is the foundational Ethiopian spice blend, built on chilli, fenugreek, cardamom, ginger and ajwain. African grocers and online shops stock it. Nothing else really substitutes, and plain chilli powder would give heat without the complexity.

How much berbere should I use without making it inedible?

Start with two tablespoons, then taste at the end and adjust, as the recipe suggests. It needs a short toasting in the fat over low heat before the liquid goes in, or it stays powdery, but it scorches quickly: two minutes is enough.

Have you cooked this dish?

No ratings yet.

Give it a rating

More recipes from Ethiopia

ButichaEthiopia

Buticha

Chickpea flour whisked into water off the heat, sharpened with lemon and jalapeño, finished with olive oil.

⏱ 25 min·EasyVeganGluten-free
AzifaEthiopia

Azifa

Green lentils cooled then dressed with mustard and lemon, with red onion and jalapeño, served cold.

⏱ 40 min·EasyVeganGluten-free
Timatim salataEthiopia

Timatim salata

Ethiopian salad of tomato and red onion with jalapeño, built around torn injera that soaks up the juices.

⏱ 15 min·EasyVeganGluten-free