An Ethiopian Feast - Yedifin Miser Alicha Wot (Stewed Lentils)

Just about every Ethiopian recipe I looked at started off with shallots or onions, ginger and garlic. I've tried to keep the seasonings otherwise pulled in a few different directions to prevent everything from tasting the same (and in fact I picked this dish because there are no onions or shallots) but expect lots of onions, ginger, and garlic. Shallots are in fact the more authentic choice and you could go with all shallots if you like, wherever I call for onion.

One other thing you might consider doing is adding up the quantity required for all the dishes you intend to make and do the chopping and mincing in one session. I put the ginger and garlic through through the food processor and that really sped things up a lot. Don't forget you can freeze any leftovers!

For this dish and the Stewed Peas, it makes such a lot of sense to cook the lentils and peas the day before. It breaks up the work and I think they benefit from pre-cooking and a rest anyway. Once that is done this is actually a very fast and simple dish to make. Even making the finished dishes in advance is a really good idea - they reheat quickly and you are not trying to finish 5 or 6 dishes at the same time that way. In fact, we agreed that the left-overs were better! You will likely find you need to add a little more water when reheating. As you can see, I didn't and I really should have. That's a bit too thick.

Ethiopian recipes call for a surprising amount of basil. Unfortunately, it's a different variety than the readily available Italian types most common in North America. It is often referred to as holy basil, but I do not know if it is the same as Thai holy basil or not. I'm afraid I just picked up my jar of basic dried basil and used it. Such is life.

30 minutes prep time PLUS time to pre-cook the lentils
4 to 6 servings

Cook the Lentils:
1 cup green or brown lentils
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

I did it in the rice-cooker, as always. Put in, turn on, wait. You can cook them in a pot if you like, by bringing them to a boil then reducing the heat and cooking for 30 to 40 minutes. Watch them carefully! Honestly? Rice-cooker.

Make the Stew:
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons (about 6 large cloves) finely minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon rubbed basil
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water

Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Set them aside together. Mix the basil, turmeric, and ginger together in a small bowl and set them aside too.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 or 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the spices and cook for another minute.

Mix in the lentils and the water. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, especially towards the end as the mixture thickens. Dollop onto injera to serve. This can, and perhaps should, be made in advance and re-heated.




Last year at this time I made Friesian Thumbs - a very different take on spices from a different part of the world and a cookie I really love a lot. 

Posted in: Ontario Food