Name: Sous Vide East African Black Lentil Stew
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; ¼ teaspoon ground allspice; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 onion , chopped fine; Salt; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 2½ cups vegetable broth; 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes , drained; 1½ cups black lentils; ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro , plus extra for serving; ½ cup plain yogurt

Sous Vide East African Black Lentil Stew

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 20, 2021

Time

Sous vide: 3 to 5 hours; active cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Sous Vide Temperature

194°F/90°C

Sous Vide East African Black Lentil Stew

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 onion, chopped fineSalt 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2½ cups vegetable broth 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained1½ cups black lentils ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for serving½ cup plain yogurt

Before You Begin

You can find berbere in specialty food stores and substitute 2–3 tablespoons of berbere in place of the spices in this recipe, though the resulting flavor may be slightly different. Be sure to double bag the lentils to protect against seam failure. This dish pairs perfectly with some fresh yogurt and crusty bread. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 194°F/90°C in 7-quart container.

Cook oil, paprika, cayenne, coriander, allspice, cumin, cardamom, and pepper in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in onion and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to simmer.

Place onion mixture and lentils in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until lentils are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 3 hours or up to 5 hours.

Transfer lentils to bowl. Using whisk, stir lentils vigorously until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in cilantro and season with salt to taste. Serve with yogurt and extra cilantro.To Make Ahead Stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, bring to a simmer in medium saucepan or heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Proceed with step 4.