Misir Wot | A Delicious Ethiopian Lentil Stew

This Misir Wot recipe is a delicious traditional Ethiopian lentil stew that you are sure to love! It's wonderfully earthy, hearty, and is completely vegetarian-friendly!

Why You Must Try This Ethiopian Misir Wot

Ethiopian Misir Wot is so delicious and easy to make, you won't believe it took you so long to try it.

• Fast. Ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
• Easy. A super simple pour and cook Instant Pot or stovetop recipe.
• Vegetarian. A fantastic vegetarian side dish or main course.
• Authentic. Make your own Niter Kibbeh to make the flavors in this dish taste as authentic as your favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

What Is Misir Wot?

If you've never had Ethiopian cuisine before, you are in for quite the treat! Ethiopian food often comes in the form of a thick stew, called a wot or wat, and this Misir Wot recipe is a fantastic traditional dish that is bursting with Ethiopian flavors. Here are the ingredients I use in this Instant Pot Misir Wot:

• Split Red Lentils
• Water
• Onion
• Minced Ginger
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Smoked Paprika
• Niter Kibbeh

The red lentils have a fantastic texture and flavor, and the Niter Kibbeh gives it a flavor that really must be experienced to fully understand! If you aren't familiar with Niter Kibbeh, I cover it more in-depth below.

So when I made this, I cooked this along with a few other vegetables to make a proper Vegetarian Ethiopian meal, so it was done pot-in-pot (PIP). I'm going to post this Misir Wot as a PIP recipe, just the way I made it because you want this dish somewhat dry and it's not always easy to get the water proportions just right in a pressure cooker.

Also, I only made 1/3 of a cup because I was going to serve this with doro wot, gomen wot, and a cabbage wot, and it's easier to do pot in pot cooking in small quantities.

When I made this Misir Wot, I also cooked collard greens for Gomen Wot at the same time, and since both things cooked in 5 minutes, that worked out really well! That to me would be the advantage of doing this in the pressure cooker versus cooking on the stove, as well as not having to stir or babysit in any way. You could also add eggs to cook in that same pot if you'd like!

What Is Niter Kibbeh?

Niter Kibbeh, which is sometimes referred to as Niter Qibe or Tesmi, is a delightfully seasoned and clarified butter. It's prepared in a similar manner to ghee, just with some wonderful aromatics and spices. You'll taste ginger, cardamom, turmeric, and fenugreek seeds. It's what gives this Misir Wot such a wonderful flavor!

Niter Kibbeh is a lot like ghee, but a lot more fragrant and robust. It's great for infusing most anything with it's unique and earthy flavor profile, and a little goes a long way in terms of adding a depth of flavor to a dish. It's quite easy to make, and it's a must if you're wanting to make some homemade authentic Ethiopian food.

Though you can buy premade Niter Kibbeh, I highly recommend making it yourself. It can be used just about anywhere you'd regularly use ghee, so feel free to experiment and use it in some other dishes. Let me know what worked for you in the comments!

Do Red Lentils Need Soaking?

Red lentils happen to be the fastest cooking of all the lentils out there. This is fantastic because they don't require pre-soaking before cooking with them. They cook quite quickly, which makes this delightful Misir Wot a quick dish to make whether you cook it in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop!

If you love lentils and want a foolproof way to cook them, check out my article on how to cook lentils.

How To Make Misir Wot

1. Place all ingredients except Niter Kibbeh into a pot that fits inside your Instant Pot and cover the pot.
2. In the liner of the Instant Pot, place 2 cups of water and a trivet. Place the lentils bowl on top of the trivet.
3. Steam with the vent closed for 5 mins, and release pressure quickly.
4. Heat a small saucepan and put in the Niter Kibbeh. Once it melts, add the lentils and a little bit of water and mix well. Let the mixture bubble and thicken a little more, and allow time for it to meld with the Niter Kibbeh (about 4-5 minutes).

How To Make Misir Wot On Your Stovetop

No Instant Pot? No problem. Make this delicious Misir Wot on your stovetop instead.

1. Heat a pan and melt the Niter Kibbeh.
2. Sauté onions and garlic in this, and once the onions are slightly browned, add lentils and spices.
3. Add 2/3 cup of water, cover the pan, and cook the lentils until tender and done (about 15 minutes).
4. Remove lid and stir and cook until thickened.
5. Serve warm.

Looking For More Delicious Ethiopian Recipes To Try?

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• Make the best Ethiopian food with this recipe for my delicious Niter Kibbeh infused with great fragrance and flavor!
• This Ethiopian Doro Wat recipe takes away all of the work without compromising on the flavor of this robust, Ethiopian chicken stew. Make this in your Instant Pot or Pressure cooker for an authentic Doro Wat taste!
• Make authentic vegetarian Ethiopian Gomen Wat at home within minutes! This Ethiopian collard greens recipe is easily made in your Instant Pot.
• This delicious Ethiopian Beef Stew is a super quick and easy way to make an authentic Minchet Abish. It's spiced with a wonderful Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere that you can make at home as well!

So whether you decide to make this in your Instant Pot or on the stove, or if you decide to make your own Niter Kibbeh or buy it premade, you're sure to love the amazing flavors of this traditional Ethiopian Misir Wot! Make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can enjoy it as well!

Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!

Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.