Spicy Berbere Lentil Stew

Last night, Colin made me an Ethiopian stew with injera. It was wonderfully delicious. The stew is flavorful and a semi-thick consistency, so we ate it over the injera (an Ethiopian spongy bread). We found the recipe off of www.spicesinc.com. The original recipe called for turkey meatballs, but we left them out because it did not sound Ethiopian. It was a fantastic vegetarian meal. I may have to post a recipe for injera and berbere in the future. I can see our child/ren loving this. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger powder
• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons berbere, to taste
• 2 cups split red lentils
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 3 ounces red wine
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions in the olive oil, until the onions are translucent
2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute
3. Add the Berbere and sauté for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
4. The onions should start to caramelize
5. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Add the lentils, salt to taste, red wine, vegetable stock and bring to a boil
7. Turn heat to simmer and cook uncovered for an hour

Serves: 8