THE BEST-EVER ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW

Ethiopian Lentil Stew is made with lentils and vegetables and spiced with Berbere, which is basically a traditional spice-mix made with serrano peppers along with some whole spices. This is such a flavorful and aromatic stew, that being super healthy it's also finger-licking delicious.

I once went to an Ethiopian restaurant when we were living in Michigan. I would say It was more like a house with different rooms and one common table in each of them. So everybody sat together and ate from a single plate. All the Ethiopian dishes I tried had rich and layered flavors just like Indian ones.  It was an interesting experience.

Basically, Ethiopian cooking has 3 build blocks -

1. Injera ( Ethiopian bread like roti): This is made from self-raising wheat flour and water.
2. Nit'ir qibe (Spied butter): This is purified spice butter which is the base of cooking almost every Ethiopian cuisine. Sometimes it's simmered with Indian Basil ( Tulsi) to get an extra layer of aroma and flavor.
3. Berbere (spice mix): This is a complex blend of chilies and spices. It gives the cuisine a rich & warm flavor. Best for winter dishes.

WHAT IS BERBERE?

Berbere is an Ethiopian Spice Blend that is is made by blending different chilies & spices together. I read somewhere that in Ethiopia, it takes days to make Berbere. They dry the chilies for three straight days in the sun , stone-ground them and other spices separately. After mixing all the spices with chilies, they again set the blend in sun to dry. It kind of reminds me of my childhood. Back at home, my mother used to sun dry species for Garam Masala. I think Ethiopian cuisine is similar to Indian cooking in various aspects, so I had to try berbere...

Just like Garam Masala that we use in Indian cooking, Berbere is also a universal seasoning. And each family has its own recipe for this seasoning. It can be used in stews, or as a rub, or any recipes that require a little spiciness. I have made it in bulk and using it in most of my recipes to make them extra spicy.

ETHIOPIAN SPROUTED LENTIL STEW

Being a vegetarian Indian, I eat lentils almost every day. And I like Ethiopian Sprouted Lentil Stew because they cook easily and are more nutrient-rich. Sometimes I use fresh sprouted green lentils for this recipe. Berbere gives a layered complex flavor to lentils resulting in a layered flavored rich dish. Enjoy the dish with Injera, Bread or Roti.

HOW TO MAKE ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW

STEP 1 - SAUTE: First and foremost is the saute the veggies including onions and tomatoes with some garlic. then add rest of the vegetables you want to add in the stew like squash, zucchini, bell peppers, french beans, etc.

STEP 2 - ADD LENTILS: Then add lentils of your choice and kidney beans and stir. Add vegetable stock or water along with Ethiopian spices.

STEP 3 - PRESSURE COOK: Then pressure cook for 30 minutes using Soup setting of Instant Pot until everything is cooked properly.

STEP 4 - ADJUST & SERVE: Adjust the spices, if needed. And serve hot with your favorite bread and enjoy.

• TOMATO BASIL SOUP
• HOMEMADE BREAD BOWL
• PUMPKIN DINNER ROLLS
• TRI-COLORED SPROUTED LENTIL SOUP
• FOCACCIA BREAD

Gari

Ethopian Sporuted Lentil Stew

5 from 2 votes

Ethiopian Sprouted Lentil Stew is made with lentils and vegetables and spiced with Berbere, which is basically a traditional spice-mix made with serrano peppers along with some whole spices.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Ethiopian

Calories: 345

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 tablespoon Oil
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 1-2 cloves Galic minced
• ½ cup Tomatoes
• 1 cup Vegetables corns, celery, carrots, or any other veggies
• 1 cup Red Lentils
• ½ cup Kidney Beans
• 3 cups Vegetable Stock

Spices:

• 2-3 tablespoon Berbere Spice
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• ½ teaspoon Paprika
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon Honey

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Equipment

• Instant Pot

Method

 

1. ▢
   Press Saute and add oil to the inner pot of Instant Pot. When the oil is hot, add minced onion to it and cook for 3-4 minutes. When onion started to change color add garlic and cook for 1 minute and add canned tomatoes.
2. ▢
   Add vegetables of your choice in the pot like sweet potato, bell peppers, squash, etc and mix.
3. ▢
   Cancel Saute and add lentils and kidney beans to the pot. Add vegetable stock and rest of the ingredients (including Berbere, Turmeric Powder, Paprika, Honey, Salt, and Pepper) and close lid.
4. ▢
   Pressure cook using Soup setting for 20 minutes. When timer beeps NPR (No Pressure Release) for 10 minutes and then Quick Release.
5. ▢
   Serve with Bread and some spiced Olive Oil and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 4gramsCalories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 19gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4668mgPotassium: 1051mgFiber: 25gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 9595IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 9mg

Video

Notes

Berbere: Once you ground it, store it in an airtight container. As the spice will remain fresh for  a longer time and free from any moisture.

Kidney Beans: You can also use canned Beans for easier cooking, and then set timer of Instant Pot for 10 minutes.

You can use Berbere in any dish that requires a little heat, as Berbere is a bit spicy.

 

I have made the dish using my Instant Pot 6QT Duo60 7-in-1 Multi Cooker, and you can also make in Stove-Top Pressure Cooker.

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