Misir Wot: Ethiopian Red Lentils, a Vegan Favourite

Misir wot is an Ethiopian stew of red lentils simmered with turmeric, garlic and spices. Mild, melting and comforting, it is served on injera, and it is one of the most reassuring vegan dishes for a first taste of Ethiopian food. At Ge'eza it costs 5,500 F, it is made without butter, and it is one of the seven dishes in the beyaynetu. The restaurant is at 656 avenue Birago Diop in Point E, Dakar, open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm.

What misir means

In Amharic, misir means lentil and wot means a sauced stew. Misir wot is simply the lentil stew. It belongs to the large family of Ethiopian dishes built on pulses, which are cooked for ordinary meals and for fasting periods alike.

The Ge'eza menu describes it in a few words: red lentils simmered with turmeric, garlic and Ethiopian spices, soft, melting, comforting. Red lentils cook fast and collapse completely, which gives a silky, purée-like texture without any cream.

A flavour that reassures

Many people arrive at their first Ethiopian meal wondering whether they can handle the chilli. Misir wot is a calming answer. Its base is gentler than shiro: turmeric gives a golden colour, garlic adds relief, the spices round everything off. You taste the lentil, a little sweet, a little earthy, with a light warmth.

It also makes an excellent counterpoint to the bolder sauces. Set beside a thick, hotter shiro wot, it rests the mouth between bites. That is one reason the two dishes almost always end up together on a large platter.

Texture and colour

On the injera, misir wot forms an orange to golden mound, glossy, smoother than a dal and wetter than a purée. It holds together enough to be picked up with bread without running. Look closely and you may see fine droplets of oil beading on the surface, a sign of patient cooking.

On the shared beyaynetu platter, its colour stands apart from the red of the shiro, the green of the gomen and the purple of the beetroot. Ge'eza's beyaynetu brings seven fasting dishes onto one injera, from 7,000 F for one person, and you will find it described in beyaynetu.

How to order it

There are several options on the menu.

• Misir wot on its own, on injera, 5,500 F. A simple, complete meal for one person who wants something light.
• Lentil sambusas, 1,500 F for two pieces, vegan: the same red lentil base with turmeric, garlic and spices, inside a crisp pastry. A good starter before the main dish.
• Inside the beyaynetu, for 1, 2 or 3 people, with the six other fasting dishes.

For a meal for two, a simple idea is to take a misir wot at 5,500 F and a shiro wot at 5,500 F, which makes 11,000 F for two dishes to share, before drinks.

How to eat it

Use your right hand and the injera. Tear off a piece, curl it slightly into a scoop, pick up a small amount of lentils. The sauce is thick enough to hold. If you eat in a group, take from your own side and offer a gursha, a mouthful held out to a neighbour, when the moment suits.

If you hesitate to eat with your fingers, the injera does the work: it is soft, slightly sour, and folds around the dish by itself. The details are in injera explained, but in practice you just have to try, and the second bite always feels more natural than the first.

What to pair it with

A few pairings drawn from the menu:

• A tikil gomen at 5,500 F, cabbage cooked with turmeric, garlic and olive oil, mild as well, for a meal that is all roundness.
• A gomen at 5,000 F, greener and sharper, to cut the sweetness of the lentils.
• A ginger juice at 1,500 F, fresh ginger blended with pure pineapple juice and water, or a bissap at 1,500 F.
• To finish, an Ethiopian macchiato at 2,500 F, or the homemade peanut baklava at 5,000 F to share.

Which tables it suits

Misir wot fits several situations. A working lunch where you want something light and quick, a meal among friends where one is vegetarian, a table with guests who avoid meat or dairy: all find something, since the menu states that the fasting dishes are vegan and made without butter.

It also suits people discovering injera. Because the dish is mild, you can concentrate on the texture of the bread and the gesture of eating with your hand, without chilli taking over. If you want an overview of the menu before ordering, the restaurant page presents it section by section.

A note on gluten

The menu says the injera is naturally gluten-free. Still, if you have coeliac disease or a severe allergy, tell the team when you book or order: they can tell you exactly what is prepared and how, rather than leaving you to assume that everything is suitable.

Coming to Ge'eza

Ge'eza is an Ethiopian restaurant, a contemporary art gallery and a cultural venue in a villa in Point E. You eat in the gallery lounge, under the glass roof or on the terrace under the trees. To be sure of a table in the evening or at the weekend, book online, or write on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07.