I recently realized that I was a complete idiot because I didn’t think I liked Ethiopian food. It all stems from my first Ethiopian meal about 15 years ago. I got freaked out by the Ethiopian bread, or injera, a slightly sour tasting crepe that you use to scoop up your food.

But to say you don’t like Ethiopian food just because you don’t like the bread is as ridiculous as saying you don’t like Mexican food because you don’t like tortillas.

So I hauled myself off to an Ethiopian cooking class at Pan Africa Grill, a local African restaurant, with my friend Kathleen. And guess what? I am in love.Turns out that the base of most Ethiopian cooking is an onion/ginger/garlic/tomato/chili combo that is amazing. From that starter base you can make all kinds of stews, and you can prepare your base ahead of time and freeze it. Our class made a variety of dishes, but my favorite was a red lentil stew that is going to be my winter go to meal.

 

Misir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew).

Note that Wot is a stew with red sauce and (typically) a base of onions, ginger, garlic, tomato paste and chili. Yummy!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 3 large onions, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1-2 T fresh chopped ginger
  • 2 T berbere (a mix of serrano chilies, nutmeg, cardamom and a bunch of other good stuff. You can google the recipe in order to make your own berbere or, like me, you can buy it from a local spice store.)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 4 cups water

Put a large pot on medium heat and once it’s hot add the canola oil. Stir in the onions, cook until they start to brown, then add in the ginger and garlic. Make sure to stir constantly so nothing sticks to the pan. Add the berbere and salt and continue to stir. Then add the red lentils, tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are cooked. The stew should thicken as it cooks, but if the lentils start to become dry add more water.

In terms of wine pairing, our host served some great South African wines like the 6 Hats Shiraz (not to be confused with 9 Hats from Columbia Valley). Harar beer from Ethiopia and Tusker beer from Kenya were also great pairings. Enjoy!

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