Name: Saba Alemayoh’s birsen (red split lentil stew)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 gm (1 cup) red split lentils; 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 large canned tomato with a spoonful of juice; 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (2-3 large cloves); 1 tbsp berbere (see note); Injera or Lebanese bread, to serve

“Legumes are a big part of Ethiopian cooking, and my favourite legume dish of all is birsen, also known as mesir in Amharic,” says Alemayoh. “My mother says short-cutting the washing process will give you indigestion. It also gives the lentils an earthy flavour, which you want to avoid.”

A note on injera

Ethiopian cooking revolves around injera, a fermented savoury flatbread made with teff flour. At Saba’s they make their own, but you can source them from select Ethiopian bakeries. We’ve found that a buckwheat version works well and has great flavour. Combine 1 cup each of teff flour and buckwheat flour with 2 cups water, then set aside to ferment for 1-2 days (this is optional and adds a light sourness). To cook injera, heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat, then add ¼ cup of batter per pancake and swirl around the pan to thinly coat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until pancake is cooked through (1-2 minutes). Flip the pancake to cook the other side (20 seconds). Alternatively you can use Lebanese-style flatbread, or serve with a side of basmati rice.

Ingredients

200 gm (1 cup) red split lentils

1 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower

1 onion, finely diced

1 large canned tomato with a spoonful of juice

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (2-3 large cloves)

1 tbsp berbere (see note)

Injera or Lebanese bread, to serve

Method

1.Wash lentils until the water runs clear.

2.Heat oil in a small casserole or heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until it softens and starts to brown (8-10 minutes). Add garlic and sauté until soft (1-2 minutes), then add berbere and stir to combine. Add lentils, tomato and juice, and 1½ cups water. Season with salt, then crush tomatoes with a spoon to combine. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender (20-25 minutes). If mixture is too thick add 2-3 tbsp water. Serve with injera or Lebanese bread.

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice mix. It’s available from specialist spice shops, or online from herbies.com.au
Notes

Profile Saba Alemayoh

Styling by Vivien Walsh

Ingredients

Method

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