Our go-to recipe has been Peter Singer's dhal (scroll right down for the recipe), but with actual spices added in addition to the curry powder - usually cumin seeds, mustard seeds, sometimes coriander or fenugreek, depending on what we have on hand.
But dhal has recently moved over for a different lentil-based, heavily spiced stew in our lives. Mesir wat, which I've posted about once before, has recently taken its place as our new go-to recipe. This Ethiopian red lentil stew has all of the virtues of dhal, with the added bonus that we haven't eaten it so many times that the flavours are boring. It is thick and hearty, beautifully flavoured, and easy-pants to throw together.
It's not quite perfect without the sour flavour and spongy texture of injera with it, but these wholemeal chapatis do a reasonable job of filling in.
Although we haven't forsaken dhal from our lives entirely, it has definitely taken a back burner to yummy wat.
11 comments:
Love the wordplay in the title :) I definitely need to make a big batch of wat/dahl now that I'm doing the whole proper full work days thing. I wonder if I could sneak some of my panch phora into it? Now, if only someone would make me injera...
Ethiopian red lentil stew is my go-to as well. I have a big jar of berebere seasoning in the cupboard. It's so easy. Mmmm.
(Haha the word verification is meat. Why is that so amusing?)
I love dal, but I think this would make for a great change! And it has berbere, which I adore.
I never had this but i would love to try it. It looks good and it would be a good change from the normal soup when I am low on groceries. Thanks you.
I've never used berbere before, but am always looking for lentil soup variations. The chipatis look deelish - did you make them yourself?
Yum! Mesir wat looks fantastic! The ingredients seem a little exotic. I'm going to try Peter Singer's dahl recipe, since I think I have a lot of those ingredients on hand. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum, that really does look fantastic. I've only had wat at restaurants before but I definitely need to try making it at home Thanks for the link to Peter Singer's dal recipe, I'll be trying that too.
Thanks for the reminder about mesir wat. Unusually (I live in Dakar), I happen to have all the ingredients so will make this today. Can't wait!
Do you make your own tortillas? They always look so beautiful and delectable in your photos.
M and Gina - these chapatis were homemade (but the tortillas we use for mexican food are bought). I'll make another batch soon so I can write a post about them!
Isn't Dhal great! We just had a dhal soup with Thai chillie and lime juice. Perfect Chapatis too.
I love wat- thanks for reminding me that I need to get some Ethiopian food sooner than later!
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