Cooking lesson

We had a cooking lesson today with W. Since we are vegetarians, she showed us how to make atakilt wa't (vegetable stew) and missir wa't (red lentil stew). Delicious. The two go well together and are easy to make at the same time. I've totally stuffed myself and am anxiously waiting to get hungry again so I can stuff myself a second time. 

Atakilt wa't
Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, minced
• olive oil
• garlic and ginger paste
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• tomato paste
• salt
• 1/2 bag baby carrots, sliced and lightly fried
• 5 potatoes, cubed and lightly fried
• jalapeños (optional)

Saute the minced red onion with olive oil over medium heat.
Add 1 rounded Tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see below) and continue cooking.
Add chopped tomato, 1 rounded tsp tomato paste and salt to taste, and continue cooking until it looks like this:



Add carrots and potatoes. If you want, you can also add a little water to make more of a sauce. Cook until vegetables are done.
Serve with chopped jalapeños on top (optional).
*Can also be made with cabbage (ne'ch gomen) or green beans (fasolia) instead of potatoes.*



Missir wa't 
Ingredients

• 2 large red onions, minced
• olive oil
• garlic and ginger paste
• tomato paste
• berbere spice (W gave us a bag of it straight from her mother's kitchen in Ethiopia. But I think you can order it online too).
• salt
• 2 cups red lentils (from Indian store)
• hot water

Saute the minced red onion with olive oil over medium heat.
Add 2 rounded Tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see below) and continue cooking.
Add 3 rounded Tbsp tomato paste, 3 Tbsp berbere and salt to taste.



Stir everything together really well.
Wash red lentils and add along with 4 cups hot water.
Cook on medium until lentils are done.

*For garlic and ginger paste, mince garlic and ginger at a 10:1 ratio with olive oil and a little salt in a food processor. Store in refrigerator.*