Meatless Monday with Ethiopian Chickpea Wat

Hello and happy Meatless Monday everyone.  Join us as today we are going international with a trip to Ethiopia. Ethiopian cuisine is chockfull of fabulous vegetarian recipes like this chickpea wat. What is a wat, you ask? It is a traditional Ethiopian stew. It can be prepared with either chicken, beef, fish or it could be made vegetarian. So now that we know what’s wat, let’s get cooking.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, cover and cook 10 minutes longer.  Remove and cover and stir in cayenne, paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom and tomato paste.  Add chickpeas and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and the flavor is developed about 30 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed.  About 10 minutes before the stew is ready, stir in green peas and taste to adjust seasonings.

This recipe makes six portions and like any stew can be adjusted easily. The recipe came courtesy of the International Vegetarian Union. This rich red stew gets it colors from paprika and is very spicy so you may want to tone down the heat if making this for the children. Chickpea wat is traditionally served with injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is used in place of utensils. This exciting take on vegetarian cuisine is a wonderful way to spice up your Meatless Monday routine and impress even the most discerning foodie in your life. Enjoy!