Beyaynetu

Ingredients

Misir wot (red lentils)

• 300 gsplit red lentils
• 1large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbspniter kibbeh or oil
• 3 tbspberbere
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 1 tbspgrated ginger
• 700 mlwater
• salt

Kik alicha (yellow split peas)

• 250 gyellow split peas, soaked 2 hr
• 1onion, chopped
• 2 tbspoil
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 600 mlwater
• salt

Gomen (collard greens)

• 500 gcollard greens, shredded
• 1onion, sliced
• 2 tbspoil
• 1 tbspgrated ginger
• 2 clovesgarlic
• salt

Tikil gomen (cabbage, carrot, potato)

• 400 gcabbage, sliced
• 2carrots, in batons
• 2potatoes, in wedges
• 1onion, sliced
• 3 tbspoil
• 1 tspturmeric
• salt

To serve

• 6injera
• fresh tomato and jalapeño salad
• ayib (fresh cheese), optional and not vegan

Directions

1. Cook the components separately and plate them together — that is the entire structure.
2. Start every stew the same way: cook the chopped onion dry, with no oil at all, over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until it collapses and gives up its water. For misir wot, add the niter kibbeh to the softened onion, then the berbere, and fry it 3 minutes until the oil turns deep red and the raw spice smell is gone.
3. Add garlic, ginger, lentils and water and simmer 35–40 minutes until thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
4. Salt at the end. Simmer 45 minutes until soft and creamy. This is the mild stew that balances the hot one.
5. Cover and cook 25 minutes until tender, then uncover and drive off the liquid. For tikil gomen, cook the onion in oil with the turmeric, add carrot and potato with a little water, cover 15 minutes, then the cabbage and cook 15 minutes more until everything is tender but still distinct.
6. Lay an injera flat on a large platter.
7. Spoon each stew in its own mound around the edge in a wheel, leaving space between so the colours read separately, with the salad in the centre. Serve extra injera rolled alongside.

Technique

• Dry-cook the onions. Every one of these stews depends on it and adding oil at the start gives a thin, greasy result.
• Fry the berbere properly in fat before liquid goes in. Raw berbere tastes dusty and harsh.
• Niter kibbeh, the spiced clarified butter, is what makes misir wot taste Ethiopian; oil works for a vegan version but the difference is real.

Substitutions

• Shop-bought berbere varies enormously in heat; start with two thirds and adjust.
• Kale in place of collard greens.

Variations

• Add shiro wot, the ground chickpea stew, which is on almost every real beyaynetu.
• A non-fasting version with doro wot and ayib alongside.

History

A platter of small servings of vegan stews, designed for the Orthodox fasting calendar and now the default vegetarian order nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Beyaynetu?

Beyaynetu is a main from Ethiopia: colorful vegan sampler of stews and salads spread over injera. A platter of small servings of vegan stews, designed for the Orthodox fasting calendar and now the default vegetarian order nationwide.

How long does Beyaynetu take to make?

Beyaynetu takes 1 hr plus soaking of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Beyaynetu?

Yes, within limits. Shop-bought berbere varies enormously in heat; start with two thirds and adjust. Kale in place of collard greens.

What is the most important thing to get right in Beyaynetu?

Cook the components separately and plate them together — that is the entire structure.