Ethiopian red lentil stew (misir wot)
Red lentils simmered with slowly cooked onions and a warm, peppery Ethiopian-style spice blend until thick and velvety, the cheapest luxurious dinner you’ll make.
- 55 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.33 a serving
- 410 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ cups split red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ lemon, juiced
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 cups water
- 1¼ tsp salt
Each serving has about 410 calories, 20 g protein, 59 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $1.33 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onions, the garlic, the ginger, and the lentils in a strainer until the water runs clear.
Finely chop. Finely chopping means cutting food into small pieces, a little bigger than minced, about the size of a lentil. Small pieces spread their flavor through the dish and cook quickly.
How you’ll know: Nothing is bigger than a lentil, and the pile looks like confetti rather than paste.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Grate. Grating means rubbing food across the holes of a grater to make fine shreds or flakes. It spreads cheese, garlic or ginger evenly through a dish so it melts right in.
How you’ll know: Even shreds fall off the back of the grater, and you stop while the piece is still big enough to hold.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat and cook the onions, stirring now and then, for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft, sweet and golden.
Low heatTimer: 13 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Take your time here. Slow-cooked onions are the backbone of every Ethiopian stew.Stir in the garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Low heatTimer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: This blend stands in for berbere, the Ethiopian spice mix. If you find berbere at the store, use 2 tablespoons instead.Add the lentils, water and salt and over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to low, set the and for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils have broken down into a thick stew.
Lid ajar. Lid ajar means resting the lid on the pot slightly off-center, leaving a small gap. Some steam escapes, so the sauce thickens and doesn’t boil over, while most of the heat stays in.
How you’ll know: A thin wisp of steam drifts out of the gap, and the pot bubbles gently without spilling.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 22 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Red lentils sink and stick, so scrape the bottom every few minutes. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.Stir in the lemon juice, taste for salt and heat, and serve.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
