What Is Misir Wot? The Ethiopian Classic Explained
Misir wot is an Ethiopian spiced red lentil stew made with berbere. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Misir wot, also spelt misir wat, is a much loved Ethiopian stew of red lentils cooked with onion, garlic, ginger and berbere, the famous Ethiopian spice blend, into a rich, deep red, warmly spiced dish. It is a staple of Ethiopian cooking and a favourite vegan and fasting food, since when made with oil rather than butter it contains no animal products. Hearty, comforting and full of flavour, misir wot is served with injera, the sourdough flatbread, often as part of a platter of dishes. In the UK the ingredients are sold by Ethiopian and African food shops.
What to remember
- Misir wot is an Ethiopian stew of red lentils cooked with onion, garlic, ginger and berbere.
- It is rich, deep red and warmly spiced, and a staple of Ethiopian cooking.
- It is a favourite vegan and fasting food when made with oil rather than butter.
- It is served with injera, often as part of a platter of dishes.
- The ingredients are sold by Ethiopian and African food shops in the UK.
For Ethiopians in Britain, misir wot is a comforting, familiar taste of home. It is the rich red lentil stew on the fasting platter, the warming, spiced comfort food with injera, the dish that fills the kitchen with the smell of berbere and onion, the staple that says home cooking. Making misir wot far from home brings back family meals and the fasting tables of home, the warmth of Ethiopia in every hearty, spiced spoonful scooped up with injera.
There is real heart in it too, in a dish so central to Ethiopian eating and to the beautiful tradition of flavourful fasting food. It reflects a whole culture of nourishing, communal, spice-rich cooking, and to simmer a pot of misir wot is to keep that alive. Cooking it for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first taste of berbere-spiced lentils, is a small act of welcome. That hearty, comforting taste of home is the gift of misir wot.
What Misir Wot Actually Is
Misir wot is one of the cornerstones of Ethiopian cooking, a rich, spiced stew of red lentils, misir being the Amharic word for lentils and wot meaning stew or sauce. The lentils are cooked down with a generous base of onion, garlic and ginger and, above all, berbere, the deep red, complex Ethiopian spice blend, until they break down into a thick, warming, deeply flavoured stew. It is comforting, satisfying and full of the warm, gently fiery flavour that berbere gives, and it is one of the most popular of all Ethiopian dishes.
A big part of why misir wot is so beloved is that it is naturally suited to fasting. Ethiopian Orthodox Christian tradition includes many fasting days when no animal products are eaten, and misir wot made with oil rather than niter kibbeh, the spiced butter, is a perfect fasting and vegan dish, hearty and nourishing without meat. It belongs to the world of Ethiopian dishes we cover in our guide to Ethiopian food, and it is eaten with injera, the sourdough flatbread, often alongside other stews like the chickpea-based shiro.
How Misir Wot Is Made and Eaten
Making misir wot begins with a base of finely chopped onion cooked down slowly, often without oil at first, until soft and sweet, then garlic, ginger and berbere are added and cooked into a rich, red, fragrant paste, with oil or niter kibbeh. Red lentils are then stirred in with water or stock and simmered until they soften and break down into a thick, spiced stew, seasoned to taste. The slow cooking of the onion base and the quality of the berbere are what give misir wot its depth, and the heat can be adjusted with more or less berbere.
Misir wot is served warm, spooned onto injera, the tangy sourdough flatbread, which is used to scoop it up by hand, and it is very often part of a colourful platter of several dishes, especially during fasting periods when a spread of vegan stews and greens is served together. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Hearty, warming and richly spiced, misir wot is Ethiopian comfort food at its best, and a wonderful vegan dish for everyone.
Misir Wot in Ethiopian Food Culture
Misir wot holds a warm, everyday place in Ethiopian food culture, a staple stew cooked in homes across the country and a fixture of both ordinary meals and celebration platters. Its role as a fasting food gives it special importance, as during the many fasting days of the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar, dishes like misir wot are central to the table, and this deep tradition of flavourful vegan cooking is one of the glories of Ethiopian food. Beyond fasting, it is simply loved as a comforting, delicious stew.
Every cook has their own touch, from the slow-cooked onion base to the berbere and the level of heat, but the rich, red, warmly spiced lentils are always at its heart. For Ethiopians, misir wot is a comforting, familiar taste of home, and for anyone exploring Ethiopian food, or looking for a superb vegan dish, it is a wonderful place to start. This article is general food and cultural information. Hearty, spiced and comforting, misir wot is a treasured Ethiopian classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making misir wot at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. The key is berbere, the Ethiopian spice blend, which Ethiopian and African food shops stock, along with niter kibbeh for non-fasting versions, injera or the teff to make it, and Ethiopian spices. Red lentils, onions, garlic and ginger are easy to find in any supermarket, so a good berbere is really all you need to source specially. A rich, well-made berbere is the secret to a great misir wot.
If you want to make misir wot, an Ethiopian or African food shop can point you to a good berbere and injera. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where Ethiopian ingredients are stocked. Simmered with onion, garlic and berbere, misir wot brings a hearty, warming, richly spiced taste of Ethiopia to your table, as a comforting vegan dish for everyone.
Frequently asked questions
What is misir wot?
Misir wot, also spelt misir wat, is a much loved Ethiopian stew of red lentils cooked with onion, garlic, ginger and berbere, the famous Ethiopian spice blend, into a rich, deep red, warmly spiced dish. Misir means lentils and wot means stew. It is a staple of Ethiopian cooking, a favourite vegan and fasting food when made with oil, and it is served with injera.
Is misir wot vegan?
Misir wot is naturally suited to being vegan, and it is a favourite fasting food in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, when no animal products are eaten. Made with oil rather than niter kibbeh, the spiced clarified butter, it contains no animal products and is hearty and nourishing. Some non-fasting versions use niter kibbeh for extra richness, so it is worth checking which version you are having.
How is misir wot made?
A base of finely chopped onion is cooked down slowly until soft, then garlic, ginger and berbere are added with oil or spiced butter and cooked into a rich, red, fragrant paste. Red lentils are stirred in with water or stock and simmered until they break down into a thick, spiced stew. The slow-cooked onion base and a good berbere give misir wot its depth.
What is misir wot served with?
Misir wot is served warm, spooned onto injera, the tangy sourdough flatbread, which is used to scoop it up by hand. It is very often part of a colourful platter of several dishes, especially during fasting periods when a spread of vegan stews and greens is served together on injera. It pairs beautifully with other Ethiopian stews and greens.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
The key ingredient, berbere, along with niter kibbeh and injera, is sold by Ethiopian and African food shops, while red lentils, onions, garlic and ginger are available in any supermarket. A good berbere is the main thing to source specially. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the berbere and injera misir wot needs.