Mesir W'et - Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew

[MateoM]

Good recipe; we added a tablespoon of hot cayenne pepper, which made it too spicy for us.  next time we will use milder cayenne pepper or less of the hot. If it was not so hot, we probably would have rated it a 5.

[yabbitgirl]

I forgot to soak my lentils, so I had to add extra liquid. I cooked it over a heat diffuser to stop it sticking. Delicious! I served it over brown rice and it is hearty and warming.

[MelissaRose]

I used some of the spices I had on had to make something that resembled the spice blend recommended here (cloves, allspice, ginger , coriander and cayenne pepper, and the result was delicious! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

[karla_marx]

This was good. I think it would've been much better had I had berbere. I tried to make a berbere substitute from a cookbook I had (cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne, etc) but it didn't taste like Ethiopian food I've had in restaurants. But then again, who am I kidding, I can't cook Indian food like in restaurants but it still makes me happy. I'll probably try this again with some berbere, and I'll probably add more water/broth and let it cook more. I did soak the lentils, but I still had to add about 3/4 C water so they'd cook all the way through.

[gravyboat]

Filling, hot, and flavorful. Loved it. I think this will be good with some carrots next time.

[RedHedM]

What kind of greens did you add in that picture?  It looks fabulous but I've never had Ethiopian food (sadly) and don't know what greens would work.

[carrot_wench]

What kind of greens did you add in that picture?  It looks fabulous but I've never had Ethiopian food (sadly) and don't know what greens would work.

I can't quite remember what I used that time, but those would be either collard greens or Swiss chard (I'm thinking the former). I really don't know what would be "authentic" for this type of dish, but I often like to add whatever greens I have on hand, just to boost nutritional content and add more colour/texture.


I went to my co-op specifically to hunt down and buy berbere for this dish, and I'm glad I did!
Since I'm not too experienced with making Ethiopian cuisine, I decided to stick to the recipe, spice quantities and all, as close as I could. As I mentioned above, though, I just felt the need to add some greens in with the stew...but that was my only modification, and I'm sure this dish would be just as good without them.
Oh, and I buy split red lentils that cook up very quickly, so I didn't soak mine.

This reminded me of an Indian dal, but with a very interesting and unfamiliar flavour. It was SO yummy and pleasantly filling.
My only suggestion would be to double the recipe if You want Your leftovers to last more than half a day. 

[susanak]

I loved this! Thanks for the recipie:)

[kelly.elly]

This was one of the best lentil recipe's i've ever had!
I added some carrots and fresh diced tomatoes.
Fantastic and a crowd pleaser at my house! Thanks so much!

[automatedorange]

Really nice recipe!  Fast and tasty, I didn't soak the lentils beforehand and I don't think it was necessary.  I didn't have any ground ginger for berbere but it was still REALLY good, I think I'll try to get ahold of those for next time.  Also added some soy yogurt and ate with whole wheat pita bread, and it was really nice.

[isaytomatoes]

I'm so excited to get this recipe.  I buy injera (which I love) from my Ethiopian students and don't have enough recipes to use with them.