mesir wat

These Ethiopian lentils are full of flavor, spiced with cardamom and ginger! Serve over rice for an easy dinner.

Ethiopian Lentils (Mesir Wat)

rice

red onion

garlic

ginger root

olive oil

paprika

turmeric

cardamom

tomatoes

red lentils

water

salt

black pepper

cayenne

Prepare the rice according to the package instructions or use our Instant Pot method.

Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Mince the ginger.

In a large saucepan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, turmeric, and ground cardamom. Cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and cook for another minute.

Add the red lentils and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook covered until the lentils are fully pureed, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Add the kosher salt and black pepper. For additional heat, add several pinches of cayenne.

A quintessential dish from Ethiopia and Eritirea

Mesir Wat (Lentil Stew)

Tablespoons niter kibbeh or oil

onions

garlic (minced)

berbere

sugar

Heat the pan (don't use non-stick) over medium heat with just the onions in it.

Sweat out some of the moisture for several minutes while stirring constantly.

Once they become translucent add in the niter kibbeh or oil and saute a few more minutes, add in the garlic and saute a bit more.

Add in the cardamom and berbere as well as a few tablespoons of water. Reduce the heat and continue to stir for about 10 minutes. (add water to avoid sticking if necessary)

Add 1/4 cup of water and the lentils. Saute, stirring constantly until the water is absorbed. You want to let the lentil scorch a bit at the bottom of the pan, but not burn, and you scrape them up and stir. Continue adding water 1/4 cup at a time until the lentils are fully cooked and you have a nice wat consistency. Adjust the seasoning adding salt and sugar to taste.

Serve with Injera.

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Ethiopian Lentils (Mesir Wat)

Mesir Wat (Lentil Stew)

Top 2 mesir wat recipes from across the web

The most viewed mesir wat recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Ethiopian Lentils (Mesir Wat)

Mesir Wat (Lentil Stew)

The most viewed mesir wat recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine