Mesir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentils)

With the cold winter we've been having I have been on a lentil stew kick all season. I have tried a few different Indian ones and came across this Ethiopian recipe which I was very curious about. I have always loved Ethiopian food, but had never tried making it since I wasn't sure where to start. This recipe is easy to follow and create a filling, flavorsome dinner. I served this with a side of rice for a hearty meal.

Recipe from A Spicy Perspective

For the lentils:

2 cups red lentils

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger or ginger paste

2 cloves, garlic, minced

1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt and pepper

For the Ayib topping:

3 cups (24 ounces) small curb cottage cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and saute the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic and ginger and cook another 2 minutes.Stir in the paprika, turmeric, garam masala, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons of salt. Once combined, add the lentils and 6 cups of water.

Bring the sauce pan to boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the lentil and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until the texture has thickened (it will be like porridge). Season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat and cover until you are ready to serve the lentils.

In the meantime, prepare the ayib. Place the cottage cheese in to a sieve or colander with small holes and rinse until only the curds remain. Transfer the curds to a bowl and press out any excess liquid using a paper towel. This will also slightly break up the curds. Mix the yogurt, lemon zest and salt in to the dried curds. 

Place the lentils in to a bowl and top with the ayib to serve.

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