Name: Misir Wot
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 red onion , chopped fine; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 2½ teaspoons paprika; 1¼ teaspoons ground coriander; ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom; ¾ teaspoon ground cumin; ½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 cups water; 1 cup dried red lentils , picked over and rinsed; 4 plum tomatoes , cored and chopped fine; 1 teaspoon table salt; Red wine wine vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

This Ethiopian classic is traditionally seasoned with the spice blend berbere, which delivers intense warmth alongside sweet and citrusy notes. Since it’s not always easy to find, we made it ourselves. Premade berbere often contains powdered ginger, which has a strong peppery aroma; we wanted to bring out the floral sweetness of fresh ginger. To start, we cooked our aromatics—red onion, umami-rich tomato paste, and fresh ginger and garlic—before adding our berbere blend of paprika, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and cayenne to bloom. Next came quick-cooking red lentils, as well as some plum tomatoes, which brought a necessary freshness and almost cooling effect to this complex dish. We finished with a drizzle of red wine vinegar, the acidity of which helped to cut through the many layers of delicious heat.

Before You Begin

Do not substitute other types of lentils for the red lentils here; they have a very different texture. Adjust the amount of cayenne according to your preference. Be sure to bloom the spices for the full minute; otherwise, you’ll be left with a raw, dusty texture in the dish.

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2½ teaspoons paprika, 1¼ teaspoons ground coriander, ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, and ½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 2 cups water, 1 cup picked over and rinsed dried red lentils, 4 cored and finely chopped plum tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon table salt and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and beginning to break down, 15 to 25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar to taste. Serve.