Misir Wot Recipe -- Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew -- Gluten Free, Vegan, and Delicious

I love Ethiopian food. For a small amount of money, you can make yourself a healthy feast that tastes amazing. I went to the market and bought some injera, Ethiopian flatbread (the one part I can't make myself) and cooked up some great toppings which I then ate with my injera (eating it is an art- see here how). As you can see, I made 6 different toppings for my injera. But my favorite was misir wot, Ethiopian red lentil stew, top left. It is so simple, yet so terrific. 

My sons aren't always the biggest lentil fans, but when I made this dish, they gobbled it up. It was also wonderful as leftovers on rice. 

For this dish, you'll need Ethiopian berbere spice mix, which you can buy or make from scratch using my recipe. 

This recipe is frugal, easy, vegan, gluten free, allergy friendly, and just all around a great recipe. Highly recommended.

Misir Wot Recipe -- Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew -- Gluten Free, Vegan, and Delicious

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons oil (traditional would actually be niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter, but I used olive oil, and you can use any)
2 large onion
6 cloves garlic
2 cups red lentils
6 cups water
2 tablespoons berbere powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions:

1. Dice your onions and mince your garlic.

2. Saute until lightly golden.

3. Add the lentils and water, bring to a boil, and simmer covered until the lentils are fully soft. This can take up to 40 minutes, but often takes less. Check to make sure water remains and if needed add more.) 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and adjust to taste.

5. That's it! I told you it's easy.

6. Eat with injera or by the spoonful or however else you want.

Enjoy!

Have you ever eaten Ethiopian food? What is your favorite Ethiopian dish? Have you had misir wot before? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?