Gringo quick and easy, healthy, low-fat, low-cost, one-pot wat Recipe
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It is the spices that make this dish. I started with the traditional recipe which uses lots of spiced butter and kept simplifying the dish. My wat recipe is every bit as flavorful as the original.
The onions, garlic, berber, lentils are essential. The others can be done without, but add complexity. Measurements are for starters and may be increased or decreased for personal tastes.
Red lentil wat (messer wat) can be made with any lentil, but traditional red was the best.
With the lentils, spices, garlic and onion, wat is very healthy. It is also very forgiving and almost impossible to ruin.. It is quick too … those lentils cook up in no time. Such comfort food … warm, spicy, soft and satisfying.
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- 1 - 2 tablespoons of berber
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp korset
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup of lentils, preferably red
- 2 cups water or stock (vegetable or chicken)
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. .
- Add garlic and cook a few more minutes
- Add jalapeno and cook a few more minutes
- Add spices and cook 10 minutes until spices are slightly toasted and oils are released.
- Rinse lentils and add with water or stock to pot
- Bring to a boil
- Remove from heat and let pot sit with cover until lentils absorb water
- This is usually scooped up with injera bread. I don’t like the sour taste though and just serve the wat like a bowl of chili accompanied usually with a green salad.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
Berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice. This dish needs more light olive oil, about 1/4 cup, along with three more onions. You can also peel a tomato, chop it up, and add it with the oil, onions, and spices as well. I, usually, cooked everything down to a mush, then I add the lentils, and then hot water. The Ethiopian bread is highly beneficial to one's health. It is an acquired taste, but once you get over the sour taste its really good. It has also been used in studies for cancer, being that the Ethiopian population has a low rate of cancer, which is, in part, attributed to the consumption of injera. I am an American, who has been married to an Ethiopian for 26 years, and I can tell you this, unless you consume some really bad/fake injera, it is better on your stomach.
^^^
http://www.signaturespices.com/00096....
This looks good, however please could you let me know what 'berber' and 'korset' are? I've never heard of them and nor can I find any information on these ingredient on the internet.
Thanks!