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I have had heard from many friends and acquaintances about the magic that is Ethiopian food.  It has always been on my list of cuisines to try, but it actually had never really happened yet.  When I got my Instant Pot about 2 years ago, one of the first things that I made in it was this Ethiopian-Style Spinach and Lentil Stew that I came across online.  It quickly became a favorite of mine.  Still, I didn’t really awaken to the wonders of Ethiopian food until a recent visit to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.  There, I had an Ethiopian-style beef dish and a lentil stew that blew me away.

I knew that I wanted to recreate those flavors at home.  After some digging around, I found what seemed like the two main components that I would need.  The first thing is niter kibbeh.  Niter kibbeh is basically clarified butter that has been infused with herbs and spices.  The flavor of this aromatic butter lays the foundation for the flavors to build on in most Ethiopian cuisine.  The second component is berbere.  Berbere is a spicy all-purpose seasoning blend that is used in several Ethiopian dishes.  Think of berbere as the Goya Adobo or the Lawry’s Season-All of Ethiopian cooking.  Most commercial Berbere blends are incredibly spicy, but the heat can be adjusted if you make your own.

I took a stab at adjusting the lentil soup recipe to include the newfound niter kibbeh and berbere, and am very happy with the results.  I also added chicken, because extra protein never hurt anyone.

You can easily leave out the chicken and make this a vegetarian dish if you prefer.

If you are using store-bought berbere seasoning, I suggest starting with a smaller quantity and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.  My berbere is fairly mild and I used 2 tbsp, but that might be too much for hotter ones.

I strongly suggest that you use niter kibbeh for this dish, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble then you can use ghee or olive oil in place of it.  It will still taste good!

Pressure Cooker Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil and Chicken Soup

(Adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp niter kibbeh (you can make your own using this recipe)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp berbere seasoning
• 2 cups dry brown lentils
• 2 lbs skinless chicken thighs (leave them out if you want to make this vegetarian)
• 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)
• 6 oz baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

Set the pressure cooker to the Saute/Browning setting

When the cooker reads Hot, add the niter kibbeh and the onions.  Cook until the onions start to soften, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook until fragrant (about 1-2 mins).  Add the berbere seasoning and stir to coat. Add the chicken or vegetable stock.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Add the lentils and chicken.  Turn off the pressure cooker.  Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 20 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10-15 minutes until releasing the remaining pressure.

Uncover, then taste and adjust seasonings again if you need to.  Stir in the spinach until wilted, then serve with lemon wedges.