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Misir alicha
Mild red lentil stew
ምስር አልጫ (misir alicha): mild red lentil stew with turmeric, garlic and ginger
Not everyone at the table in Gondar or Addis wants berbere, so the fasting platter almost always has a gentle yellow wat beside the red one: misir alicha, split red lentils cooked down with dry-sweated onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric until creamy. It is soft, warming and easy on children and anyone who finds misir wat too hot. The common mistake is letting the lentils cook to a thin soup; simmer uncovered at the end until it mounds on a spoon and sits on injera without running. Chef's tip: a sliced green chilli and a pinch of ground ajwain (netch azmud) stirred in at the end lift it without adding much heat.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz split red lentilsrinsed
- 2 red onionsfinely chopped
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlicminced
- ½ oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 green chillislit
- 1 pinch ground ajwain (netch azmud) (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cook 2 red onions in a dry pot over a medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring and adding a spoon of water if they catch, until soft and collapsed.
10 minStep 2: Add ¼ cup vegetable oil, 3 cloves garlic, ½ oz fresh ginger and 1 tsp ground turmeric and cook for 2–3 minutes.
3 minStep 3: Add 9 oz split red lentils and 750 ml water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils have broken down.
15 minStep 4: Add 1 tsp salt, 1 green chilli and 1 pinch ground ajwain (netch azmud) and simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes more, until thick enough to mound on a spoon. Serve warm with injera.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does misir alicha take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of split red lentils?
- Yellow split peas (soak 2 hours and cook longer).
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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