Ethiopian Red Lentils in Tomato Sauce
When you’re composing a combination of dishes to be served on injera for an Ethiopian meal, you need at least one stick-to-the-ribs dish that is the equivalent of chili in American cuisine. This Ethiopian Red Lentils in Tomato Sauce recipe fits the bill. I’ve borrowed Kittee Berns’ recipe for ye’misser wot be’timatim, though I’ve substituted Niter Kibbeh for the vegan cooking oil.
Ingredients:
½ c dried red lentils (can use other lentils if that’s what you have)
Water to cover, about 3 cups
1 c red onion, finely chopped
A bit of salt (for cooking the onions)
2 T Niter Kibbeh or clarified butter or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ t peeled and grated fresh ginger
½ t ground coriander
¼ t ground cardaman
2 T berbere seasoning*
2 t paprika
1 T tomato paste
1 small tomato, diced
Reserved lentil cooking liquid as required
Method: Cook the lentils with a generous amount of water, adding more if needed. Bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer, stirring and skimming frequently, until tender. This should take no more than 10-15 minutes. Drain the lentils and reserve the cooking liquid
Add onion and salt to a dry saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until the onion has released its liquid and softened, stirring to keep it from burning, about 5 minutes. Add niter kibbeh and heat to melting, scraping up any bits of onin that have stuck to the pan. Cover and cook over very low heat until onion is very soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Uncover and add spices and cook on medium heat about a minute until fragrant, stirring to expose them to the hot oil. Add tomato paste and diced tomato and a cup of the reserved lentil cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the sauce has thickened somewhat and the tomato has broken down. Add the lentils and possibly a bit more of the cooking liquid to create a very thick slurry you will be able to scoop up without dripping. Cover and heat a few minutes to blend the flavors. You can serve immediately, but this preparation will be just as good reheated the next day.
*I use Penzey’s Berbere which I think is spicier than most blends. Taste and add more as you go to your own tolerance/preferences. Resist the temptation to just use cayenne because berbere includes a number of additional ingredients (check the list on the Penzey’s link above).
