Misir wat
ምስር ወጥ
Red lentils in berbere — the fasting pot that is also Tuesday dinner.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ምስር ወጥ.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Hot
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Misir wat is split red lentils cooked in the same onion-berbere logic as doro, without the chicken. It should be thick enough to sit on injera, not a soup. Oil or niter depending on whether the house is fasting.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Cook onion in oil until soft and sweet, 12 minutes. Berbere, garlic, ginger, optional tomato.
15 minStep 2
Add rinsed lentils and water. Simmer, stirring, until thick and the lentils collapse, 25 minutes. Salt.
25 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Red lentils → Brown lentils
Longer cook, less of the orange velvet.
Tips
- A knob of butter at the end if it is not a fasting day.
- It thickens as it sits. Loosen with water to reheat.
History & culture
Orthodox fasting days are frequent. This is why Ethiopian vegetarian cooking is a repertoire, not a side.
Lentils and berbere. The feast/fast calendar made this pot central.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Omnipc via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Misir%20Wat%20in%20Pot.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Misir wat take?
55 min all in — 15 min prep, 40 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Hot.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Red lentils → Brown lentils. Longer cook, less of the orange velvet.
Any tips from this recipe?
A knob of butter at the end if it is not a fasting day. It thickens as it sits. Loosen with water to reheat.
Can I prepare this ahead?
It thickens as it sits. Loosen with water to reheat.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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