The Ethiopian cabbage dish Atakilt Wat. Courtesy photo

One Los Alamos News:

There are two classic international recipes for this 7th and final day of One Los Alamos Diversity Week: Atakilt Wat and Misr Wat from Ethiopia by Mulu Ayele.

Ayele came to the United States from Ethiopia in the late 1980s. She has been in Los Alamos for the past 14 years.

Ayele has worked in various businesses in the county in addition to being a homemaker.

Her first recipe is the Ethiopian cabbage dish Atakilt Wat (vegan, gluten-free healthy and delicious).

Prep and cook: about 1 hr for 5 servings.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of oil or olive oil
• 1.5 cup of chopped onions
  
• 4 fresh Roma tomatoes chopped
• Up to 4 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 medium carrots thinly sliced
• 1 large potato peeled and cut into 1 or ½ inch pieces
• One small head of cabbage shredded
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup of water

Cooking Instructions: (all in a frying pan and on medium heat)

• Saute 1.5 cup of onions in ½ cup of oil until cooked but not browned (10 min); stir often
• Add: chopped tomatoes, garlic and cook for 10 min; stir often
• Add cut carrots and cook for 10 minutes
• Add: ground cumin, turmeric and potatoes – cook for 5 to 6 minutes
• Add cabbage + 1 cup of water
• Cook until cabbage gets soft ( about 30 minutes)

Done: (It is delicious on injera or on slices of toasted wheat bread)

Her second recipe is Misr Wat (a spicy Ethiopian red lentil dish).

Prep and cook : about 1 – 1.25 hours for 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of oil or olive oil
• 1.5 cup of chopped onions
• Up to 5 cloves of garlic – finely chopped od minced
• 3 fresh Roma tomatoes – chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1.5 tablespoon of berbere spice powder (home-made recommended)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of red lentils
• 1.5 cups of water

Cooking Instructions (all in a stock pot)

• Cook onions with oil in medium-high heat for 10-15 min. until golden brown
• Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and berbere – cook for 6-8 minutes; reduce heat if needed to prevent burning
• Add the red lentils, bring it to boil, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer. Stir occasionally and cook for 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft

• Add salt to taste

Done:

Often served with injera (Ethiopian flatbread)

The Misr Wat (a spicy Ethiopian red lentil dish). Courtesy photo