The World in Your Kitchen 2010 – Ethiopia

I wanted to share the recipes from my lovely 2010 calendar.  All of the recipes are vegetarian and most of the ingredients are very easy to find.  If the recipe calls for something unusual it also gives you a simple substitution.  I love it!  Here’s the recipe for January… Ethiopia.

Lentil Wat

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
1 med. onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. bebere (Ethiopian spicy sauce available in specialty stores) or 1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated, o 1 tsp powdered ginger
3 cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp parsley or fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper
oil

Preparation:
Put the lentils in a pan wit enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Skim off any froth with a spoon, and tghen reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes until they are cooked and crumbly. They should have absorbed most of the moisture; if not, drain off the excess.
Now heat the oil in another pan and sauté the onions, adding the garlic after a few minutes when the onions are traslucent.
Next, add the berbere or chili powder, the ginger, cloves, nutmeg and lemon juice.  Stir well to combine the ingredients.  Pour a little water or oil if the mixture begins to catch.
Spoon the lentils ino the spice mix and season.  Cook over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors expand, stirring frequently so that the mixture does not burn.  Again, add more liquid if necessr to keep it moist.  Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve with breads or rice.

Lentil Wat... Yummy!

Notes:
I’ll be honest here, I really didn’t look for the berbere, I’m not sure if it would’ve made a difference, but instead of the chili powder I used Harissa spice from Epicure Selections.  Harissa is actually a north african spice and it is very powerful!  I took a whiff an had to cough for about a minute!  But it worked perfectly. Jus make sure to handle with care. (and do not, under any circumstances, whiff it! it was a rookie mistake on my part!). 
I didn’t use whole cloves but used a teaspoon of clove powder.  My idea really was to use what I already had on hand, whole cloves are on my list of items to add to my pantry but for now I can make do with clove powder. 
A note on this, I was told AFTER the fact that if you soak the lentils in very cold water over night it helps, somehow, get rid of the gassy-ness that they give an unsuspecting stomach.  I definitely will have to try that next time. 
Rice is a great accompaniment for this recipe, but if you can find (or make) Injera, the ethiopian sponge-like bread, you should absolutely try it!  It’ll make this a very authentic dish!

Verdict:
I can’t wait to try the rest of the recipes throughout the year.  This was a great recipe, spicy and lemony at the same time and very healthy!  I was pleasantly surprised.
Enjoy the taste of Ethiopia.