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

Ethopian Sporuted Lentil Stew

Gari

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.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Share by Email Rate this Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Ethiopian

Servings 4 people

Calories 345 kcal

Equipment

Instant Pot

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

HOW TO MAKE BERBERE:

• Add all the ingredients (except basil and cilantro) in either a spice grinder or mortar pestle, and ground them finely.
• Add grounded spices in a bowl and mix it with cilantro & basil until evenly combined, and store in an airtight container.

HOW TO MAKE ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW:

• 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.
• Add vegetables of your choice in the pot like sweet potato, bell peppers, squash, etc and mix.
• Cancel Saute and add lentils and kidney beans to the pot. Add vegetable stock and rest of the ingredients (including Berbere, Honey, Salt, and Parsley) and close lid.
• Pressure cook using Soup setting for 20 minutes. When timer beeps NPR (No Pressure Release) for 10 minutes and then Quick Release.
• Serve with Bread and some spiced Olive Oil and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition Facts

Ethopian Sporuted Lentil Stew

Serving Size

 

4 grams

Amount per Serving

Calories

 

345

Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4

g

6

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Sodium

 

4668

mg

203

%

Potassium

 

1051

mg

30

%

Carbohydrates

 

64

g

21

%

Fiber

 

25

g

104

%

Sugar

 

11

g

12

%

Protein

 

19

g

38

%

Vitamin A

 

9595

IU

192

%

Vitamin C

 

26

mg

32

%

Calcium

 

99

mg

10

%

Iron

 

9

mg

50

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Rate this Recipe

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.

If you like this recipe, Please RATE by clicking the Stars or leave FEEDBACK!

Keyword Ethopian, Instant Pot, instant pot recipes, lentil stew, stew, vegan, vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Mention @thisthatmoreworld or tag #thisthatmore!

For other Food Videos!Check out ThisThatMore!