Misir Wat

Misir Wat gets its vibrant red hue and spicy kick from berbere, a complex Ethiopian spice blend featuring chili peppers, fenugreek, and paprika. The stew also heavily relies on niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter. Together, these ingredients create a rich, deeply savory flavor profile.

Traditional Misir Wat is made with split red lentils, which cook down quickly into a soft, creamy texture. Unlike other legumes, red lentils do not require soaking prior to cooking. This makes the dish relatively fast to prepare compared to other traditional Ethiopian stews.

Misir Wat is almost always served atop a large piece of injera, a spongy flatbread made from fermented teff flour. Diners use their right hands to tear off pieces of the injera to scoop up the stew. It is a staple dish during Ethiopian Orthodox fasting periods when meat is forbidden.

The base ingredients of red lentils, berbere spice, and onions are entirely plant-based, making it naturally vegan. However, traditional recipes use niter kibbeh, which is an Ethiopian spiced butter derived from animals. To make it strictly vegan, cooks will substitute olive oil or a plant-based butter alternative.