How to make Great Berbere-Inspired Lentils

I love lentils

Lentils are cheap, quick, filling, and tasty. They’re very high in fiber, which causes them to be a slower burning carbohydrate and they come with a nice amount of “bonus protein.”

I’ve cooked some version of these lentils for years. Originally, I was trying to figure out how to replicate the Berbere lentils at Zemam’s in Tucson, AZ. It’s one of my favorite dishes at one of my favorite restaurants and I wanted to learn how to make them at home. I never figured it out, but these are still pretty great.

I’ll often double this recipe and eat it with everything for the better part of a week.

The Vegetables

First, cut some vegetables (onion, peppers, carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli, etc). Just pull out some stuff you have in your fridge or on your shelves. Today, I had some peppers, spinach, and carrots. I also regularly use broccoli, onions, whole garlic, and mushrooms. Just use whatever you have.

**If you don’t have an Instant Pot, that’s fine. Place a large pot over medium heat and then continue to follow the recipe below**

Set an Instant Pot to sauté and add some extra-virgin olive oil. Then add the vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes until they soften and just start to brown.

While they’re browning, collect the spices. If you don’t have some of them, don’t worry. Leave them out. This is one of those “just make it work” recipes.

Once the veggies are soft and the spices are combined, add the spices to the pot and cook for a minute or so. This will get rid of an unpleasant “raw” quality to the spices.

Then add the lentils and the liquid. Set the Instant Pot to high for 5 minutes and cook.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, just cook over the stove for 30ish minutes until the lentils are soft and tender.

Lentils are an ideal carbohydrate. Slow-burning, bonus protein, and easy to flavor. Give this recipe a shot. I bet you’ll like it.

Print Recipe

Berbere Inspired Red Lentils

Zemam's is one of my favorite restaurants in Tucson and I love their red lentils. I've never been able to properly recreate them, but I developed this recipe while trying to do so. Paired with some rice or quinoa, they're a delicious main dish for vegans or vegetarians. Paired with a nice cut of meat, they're a great side for omnivores. I've been making these for over a decade and I'm still not tired of them. In recent years, I've started using an Instant Pot for lentils. It makes them a bit healthier and seems to limit the flatulent-side effects of lentils. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook them in a regular pot, it will just take a little longer and might lead to a little more gas the following day.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Keyword: Berbere, dal, lentils, stew, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 31 people

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups red lentils
• 4 cups broth or water
• 4 cups vegetables onions, carrots, peppers, spinach, etc.
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoons paprika
• 1 Tablespoon mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 5 dashes soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Set Instant Pot to sauté and add oil to the pot.

  OR

  Place a large pot on medium heat and add oil to the pot.
• Once the oil is hot, add the diced vegetables and cook until they start to soften, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. This should take 5-10 minutes, depending on which vegetables you choose.
• Once the vegetables are soft and starting to brown, add the spice mixture, stir thoroughly, and cook for 1 minute to get rid of the "raw" taste.

  Next, pour the lentils into the pot and stir to combine.

  Finally, add the water and stir one more time.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.

  OR

  If using a traditional pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmerLet cook for about 30 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the water has been almost completely absorbed.