Mesir Wat (Ethiopian Lentil Stew) (2024)

Published: May 9, 2020 · Modified: Sep 19, 2022 by Pavani · 23 Comments

Mesir wat is a hearty and comforting Ethiopian red lentil stew. This is a flavorful recipe that uses berbere spice blend. All you need is few simple pantry ingredients to make this dish. Serve over injera for a delicious meal.

I make this Ethiopian red lentils recipe in the Instant Pot. This saves time and also makes it a perfect dish to make on a busy weeknight. Instructions for both stove top and instant pot are in the post.

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About the Recipe

I love Passport meals which means you go on a world tour without actually leaving your own kitchen. Trying out various international recipes has been my passion.

In my quest for vegetarian recipes, I found the amazing Ethiopian cuisine. It is a very vegetarian friendly cuisine. There are quite a few vegetable and lentil based dishes that are hearty and perfect options for vegetarians and vegans.

Misir Wot | Ethiopian Lentils

Misir Wat aka Mesir Wat is a delicious Ethiopian lentil stew. Watis stew and Mesir Wat loosely translates to lentil stew. It is one of their most famous vegetarian dishes. It is easy to make, protein packed and absolutely delicious.

What makes Ethiopian food enticing to me is the use of spices, which makes it familiar to my Indian taste buds. They use flavor packed ingredients to enhance the taste of the dish. Like the aromatic ghee (niter kibbeh) or the berbere spice blend.

Though traditionally this recipe is made on the stove, I love using my Instant Pot. Because it makes cooking lentils quick and easy.

Ingredients

For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

This is a simple, every day recipe that does not need any complicated ingredients. Most of them are pantry staples. Here is what you need to make this delicious Misir Wat:

• Red lentils (masoor dal in hindi) - these little pinkish-orange lentils are quick to cook. They become deliciously creamy in no time. Also there is no need to soak them before cooking.
• Berbere spice is an aromatic spice blend made with roasted and ground spices. You can use either homemade or store-bought. If you have a well stocked spice rack, then you can make this spice blend fresh at home.
• Onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies
• Tomato puree

Instructions

For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

Here is how to make misr wat aka berbere lentils recipe:

Misir Wot can easily be made on the stove top. But if you have an Instant Pot, then the whole recipe takes less than 10 minutes of hands on time. I have included instructions for both methods in the recipe card.

Instant Pot Misir Wat:

Heat Instant Pot on 'Sauté' mode. Add oil, onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies, cook till onions are translucent.

Add water, tomato puree, Berbere spice, lentils and salt. Mix well. Turn off the Sauté mode and turn the IP on manual/ pressure cook mode. Cook for 6~8 minutes with the venting knob in sealing position. Wait for the pressure to reduce naturally.

Open the lid and mix well to combine. If the mixture looks too thick, add ¼~½ cup of water and simmer till heated through. Stir in lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot with your favorite vegetarian Ethiopian dishes.

In the below photo, I served sourdough injera with (anti-clockwise from top) zigni wat (I used plant based ground beef), mesir wat and gomen wat. You can serve them with tikel gomen and tamatar salata.

Expert Tips

Here are a few tips and tricks to make this delicious Ethiopian lentil stew:

• Use low-sodium vegetable stock instead of water for added flavor.
• Depending on the spiciness of the berbere spice blend used, you can use more green chilies to make the stew spicy.
• Stir in lemon juice just before serving for a delicious finish.
• Leftovers taste great the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm before serving.

How to Serve Ethiopian lentils?

Traditionally mesir wot is served with injera, a traditional Ethiopian flatbread. But if you don't have injera, then it is great to serve over plain rice as well. My kids ate it with roti as well.

So, this is a hearty and delicious side dish that can be served with any meal. To make this a complete meal, make Tikel Gomen and serve with injera as a meal.

You might also like

Here are a few more recipes with red lentils that you might like:

I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram@cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag#cookshideouttoo.

Recipe Card