Ethiopian Red Lentils

For a side dish to the Sik Sik Wat in the last post, I made these Ethiopian spiced red lentils. Red lentils are not as good for you as green lentils, being only 11% fiber as opposed to 31%, but they still have plenty of protein and are one of the healthiest foods.

These lentils are spicy and can act as a main dish as opposed to a side dish like I used them. If you prefer a thinner lentil stew, leave the water at 4 cups, but if you prefer a thicker paste, reduce the water to 3 1/2 cups. Either way, this dish is healthy and has great flavors of chili, onion, turmeric and cloves.

Note: you can find recipes for both the niter kibbeh and berbere spice in this post

Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 Tbsp niter kibbeh or clarified butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp berber seasoning
• 4 cups water
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Melt clarified butter in a large pot. Wash lentils
2. Add onion and garlic to butter, sautee until soft
3. Add 1 tbsp of berber seasoning, lentils and water. Simmer for 45 minutes or until walter is almost all evaporated and lentils are soft
4. Add remaining berber seasoning and salt to taste. Serve immediately.