Misir Wat

Method

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1. Put the onions in a heavy dry pan over a medium heat with no oil at all.

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2. Cook 10 minutes, stirring and scraping, until they have collapsed and turned golden brown.

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3. Add the oil, garlic and ginger and cook 3 minutes.

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4. Stir in the berbere and tomato puree and cook 2 minutes, until the fat runs red.

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5. Add the lentils and turn them in the paste.

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6. Pour in the water, add the salt and bring to a boil.

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7. Lower the heat and simmer 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the lentils have broken down completely.

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8. Keep going until the stew is dark and thick and a spoon drawn through it leaves a track that holds.

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9. Stir in the lemon juice.

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10. Taste for salt and serve hot.

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Chef’s Tips

• No oil until the onions have browned.
• Stir often at the end; it catches.
• Berbere brands vary a lot in heat. Start with two tbsp if yours is new to you.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Injera
• Atkilt wat
• Timatim salata

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 5 days, freeze up to 3 months. It thickens; loosen to reheat.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.