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Ye-difin misir wat
Spicy brown lentil stew
የድፍን ምስር ወጥ (ye-difin misir wat): whole brown lentils in a spicy berbere sauce
The everyday misir wat of Addis Ababa's fasting houses is made with split red lentils, but in Tigray and Amhara homes many cooks prefer difin misir, whole brown or green lentils that keep their shape and give a thicker, nubbly stew with a deep, peppery berbere sauce. It is hearty, earthy and properly spicy, the backbone of a Lenten lunch with injera, cabbage and a cold salad. The mistake is adding the lentils to the sauce raw: whole lentils take far longer than the onions can stand, so cook them separately until tender first. Chef's tip: finish with a teaspoon of mitmita or a pinch of ground cardamom (korerima) just before serving for a fragrant top note.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz whole brown or green lentilsrinsed
- 3 red onionsvery finely chopped
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlicminced
- ½ oz fresh gingergrated
- 3 tbsp berbere
- 1 tomatograted
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground korerima or cardamom (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Simmer 9 oz whole brown or green lentils in 1.2 litres of water for 20–25 minutes until tender but whole. Drain, keeping the cooking water.
25 minStep 2: Cook 3 red onions in a dry pot over a medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes until soft, reduced and starting to colour.
12 minStep 3: Add ¼ cup vegetable oil, 4 cloves garlic and ½ oz fresh ginger and cook for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tbsp berbere and 3 tbsp water and fry for 2–3 minutes until dark red.
3 minStep 5: Add 1 tomato and cook for 5 minutes until it melts into the sauce.
5 minStep 6: Add the lentils, 300 ml of their water and 1 tsp salt and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thick and coats the lentils.
15 minStep 7: Stir in ¼ tsp ground korerima or cardamom, taste for salt and serve hot with injera.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 16 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ye-difin misir wat take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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