Ethiopian red lentil stew
Prep Time: 15 minutes + time to prepare niter kibbeh and mekelesha spice mix
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Keywords: entree gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegetarian lentils onion spices Ethiopian
Ingredients (the recipe for the stew serves 2)
For the niter kibbeh
- 4 crushed cardamom pods
- 1/4 inch / 0.6 cm cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove
- 4 ounces / 112 grams unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion (the original recipe calls for shallots, but they are out of season)
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 scant teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
Instructions
Toast the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a small dry pan over medium heat until they smell aromatic, about a minute.
Cut the butter into small cubes. Put the butter and all the other ingredients (including the toasted spices) into a small saucepan with a heavy bottom. Let the butter and spices come to a bare simmer over low heat. Depending on your burner, turn the heat further down to keep the bare simmer. Cook gently for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat when you see browning. For me this happened at about 22 minutes. I think if you make a larger quantity, the time will be longer.
Cut a small piece of cheesecloth, double it and line a tea strainer with it. Strain the butter through the cheesecloth into a small, clean glass jar. The spiced butter lasts months in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
For the mekelesha spice blend
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Blend the spices in a small, clean jar. You will use a small amount of mekelesha, so once done, it will be ready for future misir wot batches or other stews and curries.
For the for the red lentil stew
- 4 1/2 ounces / 125 grams dried split red lentils
- 2 tablespoons niter kibbeh (if you use vegetable oil instead, the dish is vegan)
- 4 1/2 ounces / 125 grams red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 -inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2-2 teaspoons berbere (see Note below)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nigella seeds (it is easy to grind whole seeds using a mortar and pestle)
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml warm water for the onion
- 1 1/2 cups / 350 ml warm water, plus more as needed, for the lentils
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon mekelesha spice blend
Instructions
Note: whether you buy it or make your own, berbere's spiciness varies by blend and personal perception. If you are unsure, use 1 1/2 teaspoons to start with, then, depending on the result, increase it to 2 teaspoons the next time.
Place the lentils in a mesh strainer, and rinse until the water runs mostly clear.
In a 8-inch / 20 cm-wide saucepan, warm the niter kibbeh over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until it smells aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the berbere and nigella and add a splash of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, stir, add another splash of water and cook for 5 minutes. Repeat the process once more. If the onion is very dry at the end, add a splash more water.
The slow, long cooking of the onion with berbere truly makes the dish: at the end, the onion is reduced to an intensely aromatic, almost creamy mass.
Add the lentils and half the sea salt and stir well. Add 1 cup / 240 ml of the warm water. Cover, turn up the heat to medium and bring the mixture just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally and add warm water a bit at a time to ensure the lentils cook through and don't dry out. You should use about 1 1/2 cups / 350 ml of water total.
Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 10-12 minutes, stirring in the mekelesha when the lentils are almost done. You can gently mash some of the lentils against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the remaining sea salt and stir.
Remove the pan from the heat. You can serve the stew now, but it will taste better if you let it cool and refrigerate it overnight, then reheat it and serve.
