I have been cooking and reading along with the #FoodandLit group on Litsy, my favorite book social network. So far we have visited Brazil and Vietnam, and for March, our country is Ethiopia. I am a bit behind on my reading but should finish Open My Eyes, That I May See Marvelous Things by Alice Allan shortly, and the book is set in Addis Ababa.
For my bookish dish, I went with Misr Wot, a spiced Ethiopian Lentil Stew and I found a recipe from Saveur Magazine. The issue also had recipes for the nit'r quibe, a spiced clarified butter, and berbere, the traditional spice mix but I ended up ordering them on Amazon because it's been that kind of week. Traditionally, this stew would be served with injera, a bread made from teff and used to scoop up the stew by hand, but although I have tried it, it's not a taste/texture I have fully acquired, so I ate my curry with rice.
Slightly Adapted from Saveur Magazine, Saveur: Soups and Stews
(Serves 4 to 6)
1 cup red lentils
4 Tbsp nit'r qibe (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
kosher salt, to taste
Saveur Magazine says, "The small lentils (variously called red lentils, pink lentils, Egyptian lentils, and, in South Asia, masoor dal) used for this dish turn yellow when cooked. The recipe for this version comes from an Ethiopean cook, Alemtshaye Yigezu, who cooked this dish for us while visiting her home."
1 cup red lentils
4 Tbsp nit'r qibe (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
kosher salt, to taste
Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water and set aside.
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved lentils, 1 tbsp. of the berbere, tomato, and 4 cups water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the lentils are tender, 45–50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously with salt. Serve immediately.
Notes/Results: A tasty curry with warm spices and surprising layers of flavor from the butter and the spices. Thick and satisfying, and it smelled exotic and heavenly as it simmered away. The berbere spice is warm rather than spicy hot, and you can taste the cinnamon and fenugreek, along with the other spices. I have more butter. lentils and spices and I will happily make this stew again.
Let's see who is here in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week:
CraftyGardener is here with a classic Chicken Soup saying, "Chicken soup is a favourite in our house. This time I used an extra chicken breast that had been poached, added stock and veggies and had a delicious soup in no time. ... A delicious soup for a chilly day or a not so chilly day."
Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen was also feeling the red lentil this week and brought Red Lentil and Thyme Soup, saying, "Its been a while since i've both eaten and cooked with red lentils. I am missing both my mothers and sister-in-law's Red Lentil Dal. Yes, i know it is pauper food, but when made really well, it is most delicious comfort food, and this vegetarian does appreciate humble food. This Red Lentil Soup is nothing like dal though. It was tame soup enhanced with thyme and tomatoes to give it a bit of depth."
Thank you to Crafty Gardener and Shaheen for joining me this week!
(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...
To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:
To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:
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and
On your entry post (on your blog):
On your entry post (on your blog):
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Have a happy, healthy week!
This is the second time in recent days that I get reminded how much I like this dish (and Ethiopian food in general), yet I have never tried to make it. I'd dive in that bowl, warm and comforting. Thank you for nudging me again :)
ReplyDeleteI too like this dish, and its been a long while since i have made Ethiopian cuisine at home. I have just got a book called In Bibi's Kitchen that has a number of Ethiopian recipes, so hopefully some will appear on my blog soon. YOu've also peaked my interest in the book, i don't think it would be on my purchase list, but if i come across it at the library, i will indeed read.
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