Misir Wot (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

Steps

1. Rinse the red lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water, rubbing them between your fingers, 3 or 4 times, until the water runs almost clear. Let drain. Chop the red onions very finely, almost to a pulp, by hand or with short pulses in a food processor. Mince the garlic and grate the fresh ginger.
2. Make the spiced oil: in a small saucepan, combine the sunflower oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 10 g of grated ginger, the fenugreek seeds, the cardamom pods crushed with the flat of a knife, and the cumin seeds. Heat over low for 8 to 10 minutes: small steady bubbles rise, the garlic barely turns blond and the fenugreek smells like maple syrup. Strain the oil into a bowl and discard the spices.
3. While the oil infuses, put the onions in a heavy 9-inch (24 cm) Dutch oven over medium-low heat, with no fat and no salt. Stir every minute with a wooden spoon for 12 to 15 minutes: they release their water, turn translucent, then take on a dusky pink-to-amber color and shrink by half. If they stick, add 1 tbsp of water and scrape the bottom.
4. Set aside 1 tbsp of the spiced oil for serving and pour the rest over the onions: it sizzles and they drink it up. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until you have a glossy jam. Add the remaining 4 garlic cloves and 20 g of ginger and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add the berbere and tomato paste. Stir constantly for 2 minutes over medium-low heat: the spices toast in the oil, the mixture darkens to brick red and the oil turns red around the edges. If it catches, add 1 tbsp of water.
6. Add the lentils and stir for 1 minute to coat them in the spice base. Pour in 1 liter of hot water and add 1 tsp of fine salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes, scraping the bottom, because red lentils stick quickly.
7. Meanwhile, rinse the basmati rice in cold water until it runs clear. Put it in a saucepan with 450 ml of water and 0.5 tsp of fine salt, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 12 minutes over very low heat. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes without lifting the lid, then fluff with a fork.
8. Check the texture of the misir wot: the lentils should have melted into a thick puree where a spoon leaves a clear trail. Too stiff, loosen it with a little hot water; too loose, let it reduce for 5 minutes uncovered. Taste and adjust the salt.
9. Serve the misir wot piping hot next to the basmati rice, and drizzle each portion with the reserved spiced oil, which makes the red surface shine.