open search
close search
, , ,

Messer wot (red lentil stew)

From Gursha by Beejhy Barhany

By

Cool Beans

messer wot

From Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond © 2025 by Tevletz Barhany-John. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Messer Wot (Red Lentil Stew)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium red onions, quartered, soaked briefly in water (to reduce the astringency), and drained

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • ¾ cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed

  • 3 tablespoons Berbere (recipe follows)

  • 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 1½ teaspoons black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste

  • 3 cups red lentils, rinsed well

  • 1 teaspoon Ground Roasted Korarima (recipe follows) or ground cardamom

Procedure:

  1. In a food processor, process the onions, garlic, and ginger into a thick paste. Pour into a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.

  2. Add the oil and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in the berbere, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring and scraping constantly, until the stew is deep red and thickened and the onions are melting into each other, 15 to 20 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water to help loosen anything sticking to the bottom of the pot, and adding a few tablespoons more oil if the mixture begins to look dry.

  3. Add the tomato paste. Fill half of the empty tomato paste can with water, scrape the remaining paste off the sides of the can into the water, and pour that into the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until the tomato paste melts into the base, 15 to 20 minutes, adding up to another cup of water to help integrate the two if necessary.

  4. Stir in the lentils and 4 cups water, return to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cook until the lentils begin to disintegrate into the stew, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the korarima. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve warm.

Berbere (Aromatic Ethiopian Spice Blend)

Yield: about 2½ cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup paprika

  • ½ cup cayenne pepper

  • 3 tablespoons Ground Roasted Korarima (recipe follows) or ground cardamom

  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons fine sea salt

  • 1½ teaspoons ground cloves

  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg

  • 1½ teaspoons ground fenugreek

Procedure:

  1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together and transfer to an airtight jar.

  2. Store at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Ground Roasted Korarima

Yield: about ¼ cup

Ingredients:

  • About ⅓ cup korarima seeds

Procedure:

  1. Warm a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the korarima seeds and roast until shiny and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl and let cool completely.

  2. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind into a powder. Transfer to an airtight container.

  3. Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Cool Beans