Mesir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

I get a hankering from time to time for Ethiopian food and I love making it at home. I still haven't successfully made injera (the spongy bread), so I order that online. I usually make my same old favorites, but every once in a while I like to try a new recipe. This one for red lentil stew couldn't be much simpler and it's good. A solid recipe for you lentil lovers (I know you're out there).

MESIR WAT

(Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons minced, peeled ginger

1/4 cup niter kibbeh, oil or butter

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 lb. red lentils (also known as masoor dal), rinsed

4 cups water or stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.      Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a little water if necessary.

2.      Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium flame. Add turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir rapidly to color the oil and cook spices through, about 30 seconds.

3.      Add the onion puree and sauté until the excess moisture evaporates and the onion loses its raw aroma, about 5-10 minutes. Do not burn.

4.      Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until lentils are cooked through and fall apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add water if necessary to keep the lentils from drying out.

5.      Stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve.

from whats4eats.com

onion, garlic & ginger

adding spices to niter kibbeh

mixing in the pureed onion/garlic/ginger

mixed

adding lentils and stock

mixed

mesir wat

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Mum's Red Lentils

This recipe was originally titled Mum's Everyday Red Lentils. No disrespect to Aarti (the chef/author), but I removed the everyday because I thought it made it sound super quick to make. And while it's simple enough, you can't just whip it up in like 10 or 15 minutes. To be fair, maybe Aarti and her Mum can and I'm just slow. But my blog, my call. Now I realize what she probably meant was everyday vs. fancy, but that didn't work for me either, because this is as fancy as I get with my lentils. All that being said, these lentils have great flavor and are totally worth making. Just not every day.

MUM'S RED LENTILS

Yield: 4 servings

Lentils (dal):

1 cup masoor dal red lentils, picked through for stones

2 cups water

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 serrano chile, sliced in half (optional)

salt to taste

Tempering oil (bagaar):

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

generous 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika or bafaat powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1.      Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse them under running water. Add them to a bowl, cover with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2.      In a medium saucepan, combine the water, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chile and the lentils (do not add salt yet—it will toughen the lentils, thereby lengthening their cooking time). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any scum from the surface. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and gently simmer until the lentils are tender, almost translucent, and almost falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes.

3.      Whisk the lentils, releasing its natural starch, and mash some them so the mixture becomes thick. Add salt, to taste.

4.      Tempering oil (bagaar): In a small bowl, combine the cumin and mustard seeds. In another bowl, combine the spice powders. Have everything ready because this will move very fast!

5.      In a small skillet, over a medium-high flame, warm the vegetable oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add seeds and immediately cover so you don't get covered in spluttering oil and seeds! Add the spices. They should sizzle and bubble a little - that's the blooming and it's exactly what you want. Don't let them burn. The mixture should bloom for about 30 seconds, no more.

6.      Pour the oil mixture into the lentils, standing back so you don't get hurt when the mixture splutters again. Stir to combine. Transfer the lentils to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

from Aarti Sequeira, 2010

knob of fresh ginger

As usual, I couldn't find a serrano, so I used a jalapeño.

already soaked lentils in the pan with the water

onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato added

all stirred up

simmering

cooked

whisking (steamy)

adding turmeric and paprika to cumin and black mustard seeds

spices sizzling

stirring in the spices

ready

Mum's red lentils

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Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans

Whenever I see a big, beautiful bunch of greens, they call out to me. What I hear is something along the lines of: Buy me. We're gorgeous and good for you. Eat us and you'll feel great. But I wish they would say something like: Run away! You hate bitter greens. Buy broccoli before it's too late. Obviously this bunch of Swiss chard didn't warn me and ended up in the cart. So I surrounded the chard with a bunch of other stuff I like, so I wouldn't mind the bitterness. It was a delicious plan. Just like when you invite over some buffers so you don't have to be alone with someone you can't stand. Now you know how to handle me when I get old and bitter (the next phase after middle-aged and sarcastic).

CURRIED RED LENTIL AND SWISS CHARD STEW WITH GARBANZO BEANS

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

6 cups (48 oz.) vegetable broth or chicken broth

2 bunches Swiss chard, tough stalks removed and coarsely chopped (about 13-15 cups)

1 lb. red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

plain yogurt (optional)

1.      Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 13 minutes.

2.      Mix in garlic, curry, garam masala, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the chard and cook until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.

3.      Add the broth, increase the heat and bring to boil. Add lentils and garbanzos; reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring twice, about 10 minutes.

4.      Divide stew among bowls. Top with yogurt if desired.

slightly adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2005

beautiful red swiss chard

I actually do like bitter greens, just not in a big pile on their
own (for me, they take on more of a supporting actor role).

onions in the pot

onions golden

adding the garlic and spices

mixed

adding the chard

chard wilting

adding vegetable broth

adding lentils and garbanzos

cooked

served with yogurt

If you're wondering why the color is so different from
the pot to the bowl, it's just the lighting in my kitchen.
It's dark by my stove, but the kitchen table is bright
and sunny, right next to glass sliding doors.

I don't think I bothered to mention this
before, but this stew is really good!

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Veggie Balls with Spinach-Basil Pesto

Yes, I'm sure the vegetarians in your life can eat only the usual side dishes and still enjoy Thanksgiving (unless of course you're one of those people that manages to slip bacon and sausage into absolutely everything and turn even Brussels sprouts into a meat-lover's vegetable). But if you love a vegetarian or just want to explore how the other half lives (actually, I'm sure it's more like the other 10% at best), then consider making these hearty little veggie balls. They're full of lentils, which means they're high in protein. In fact, they should be called lentil-veggie balls, since they're about a 50/50 mix by the time all the vegetables cook down.

Now, I know this photo probably hasn't sold you...they definitely don't look moist and juicy like an actual meatball. But they're not meatballs, so stop comparing them. I like them as a snack because I think they're even better cold. You can easily pop one or two between meals and feel satisfied and they're actually healthy (when I put it that way, it might be un-American to have them for Thanksgiving). And if you don't like them, you can always use them to get a rousing game of miniature bocce ball going in the backyard.

VEGGIE BALLS

Yield: about 2 dozen (1 1/2-inch) “meatballs”

2 cups lentils

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons tomato paste

8 oz. button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
_______________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.

2.      Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium- high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

3.      Add the cooled lentils, eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts to the cooled vegetables and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

4.      Preheat oven to 400º F. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

5.      Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4-inch of space between the balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.

6.      Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

from "The Meatball Shop Cookbook" by Daniel Holzman, Michael Chernow & Lauren Deen

raw lentils up close

cooked lentils

thyme

onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme

adding tomato paste

adding mushrooms

vegetables ready
(all the liquid has been absorbed)

adding walnuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs and parmesan cheese

mixing in lentils

ready to refrigerate

rolling a veggie ball

ready to bake

I actually baked a second dish too. Somehow I ended up
with 43 (instead of the recipe's prediction of 24). I
don't think I made them too small, so I'm still not sure why.

baked

close up of baked veggie ball

- - - - - - - - 

SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Yield: 4 cups

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

_______________________________________________________________________

1.      Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.

2.      Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl half way up with ice and water and set close to the sink.

3.      Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.

4.      Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.

from "The Meatball Shop Cookbook" by Daniel Holzman, Michael Chernow & Lauren Deen

walnuts

all the pesto ingredients in the food processor

I didn't blanch the spinach and basil, so it's hard for me to give an
accurate assessment of this recipe. The authors of "The Meatball
Shop Cookbook" picked this as their favorite topping for these
veggie balls. I think a nice mushroom sauce would be great too. I did
enjoy this raw, except I would probably add a clove of garlic next time.

spinach-basil pesto

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