Ethiopian Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

In our house anything with lots and lots of spice is always a hit, so when I saw a recipe for an Ethiopian dry spice called "Berbere" I knew I had to make it and use it immediately. I suggest you make this in bulk (I quadrupled the recipe) and use it as often as you can. It is amazing.

I cheated and used my NutriBullet to grind up the seeds, flakes and whatnot but if you're insistent you can use the old fashioned mortar and pestle way. When you're done just keep it in a mason jar. 

Berbere Spice Blend:

• 4 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 Tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Now for the stew. I LOVE lentils. Like, really really love them. And I also love a good stew. We volunteer at Cedar Row Farm Sanctuary in Ontario (Canada) and the farm work visits are potluck. There is something about working your butt off and then sitting down to stew that just feels sooooo good. Stew is also a really easy way to feed a lot of people :)

Anyhow, the ingredients for the stew are:

• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp berbere spice
• 1.5L Broth
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 of a cabbage (red or green) finely chopped
• 6 small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup green lentils (or 1 can)
• 1 can organic tomato paste

• In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil. After a few minutes add the garlic and ginger. Next add the berbere and stir well. Now add the cabbage and cook covered for a minute or two. Now you're ready for the broth and potatoes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil before lowering heat and simmering for 20-25 minutes. Lastly add the tomato paste to thicken. 

When the potatoes are done and the broth had thickened I like to give it a once over with the immersion blender to make it extra thick and stewy. Enjoy! 

#goodfoodbadpicture haha

PS - my formatting is all off on this post but I can't be bothered to boot up the laptop and fix it. So I have a bulletted paragraph that shouldn't be. If you didn't already notice, now you will. If you did 8 am painfully aware but totally apathetic. Ha!