Misir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

Method

Misir wat is the everyday vegetarian wat, the red lentil stew that appears on nearly every Ethiopian table, and it is the best dish to learn the onion base on because the lentils are forgiving where chicken is not. Rinse the red split lentils in a sieve under cold water until it runs clear, then set them aside to drain. The rinsing matters — it washes off the loose starch that would otherwise turn the finished stew gluey.

Finely dice the onions and cook them exactly as you would for any wat: in a dry, heavy pan over moderate heat, no oil, stirred often, for thirty minutes or more until they soften, give up their water, and reduce to a dark, sweet paste. This dry caramelisation is the foundation, and misir wat lives or dies by it just as doro wat does. When the onions are properly collapsed, stir in the niter kibbeh, the crushed garlic, and the grated ginger, and let them cook into the base for a couple of minutes.

Add the berbere and tomato purée and fry the spice in the fat for a minute so it blooms and loses its raw edge. Berbere is chilli-forward and it is the flavour of ethiopian-cuisine|the dish, so taste it before you commit — a tired blend gives a flat stew. Tip in the drained lentils and stir to coat every grain in the dark red base, then pour in enough hot water to cover them by a couple of centimetres.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, stirring now and then and topping up with a little hot water if it tightens too much. The lentils should break down completely into a thick, spoonable stew — not soup, and not a dry mash. Season with salt only towards the end. Serve misir wat on injera, alongside other wats and a mound of the sourdough bread to scoop it up. It reheats beautifully and, like most wats, tastes deeper the next day.