How to cook red lentils: several cooking methods. Second courses
Cooking is a scrupulous process that requires compliance with basic rules: prescription, hygienic. This condition applies regardless of what you are going to cook, be it soup or simple porridge.
The latter is not at all fashionable nowadays, despite its unconditional benefits. Lentil porridge is an unusual phenomenon, even strange by today’s standards.
This product has appeared on store shelves, people are slowly starting to remember it and eat it, becoming more sophisticated in its preparation.
There are a number of steps involved in cooking green lentils.
The first is the choice of cereal. Surprisingly, this product has a wide range and is represented by grains of various colors and sizes, that is, for every taste: green, red, black, brown, even yellow.
The color of a product determines its main characteristics and properties, in particular taste. What they have in common is that they are all full owners of plant proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. When choosing cereals, you should be aware of the following facts; they must be checked before purchasing.
Before starting cooking, the lentils must be washed and sorted well.
The second stage is to boil water (the amount should be double the amount of lentils) and throw the finished cereal into it. People often don't know how long to cook green lentils. So, you need to cook it for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. 
How to properly cook green lentils for a side dish
In a saucepan
Depending on the container in which the porridge will be prepared, there are separate rules for cooking it. Firstly, this type of legume is not pre-soaked. Secondly, lentil cereals are sent to boiled, unsalted water in a 1:2 ratio (green lentils / water).
Leave it on low heat (to maintain a boil) under the lid for thirty minutes. To give an unusual taste, you can add spices from aromatic herbs to the pan: cloves, sage, others to your taste, various sauces.
In the microwave
The method of cooking cereal in a microwave oven is as follows:
- place the washed green lentils in a special microwave-safe glass container;
- fill it with water (1.5-2 cm higher than the cereal), salt;
- The container with lentils is placed in the microwave on the vegetable cooking mode for about 7-10 minutes.
Lentils in the microwave turn out unusually soft and crumbly. 
How to cook green lentils with meat in a slow cooker
To prepare the lentil-meat dish you will need the following ingredients:
- lentil cereal (green) – 250 gr.;
- cold cuts – 0.5 kg;
- onion – 1 medium sized head;
- garlic – 1 small head;
- tomato (250 gr.) or pasta – 50 gr.;
- ordinary water – 0.5 l.;
- spices, salt - to taste;
- Sunflower oil - for frying.
The total amount of time spent on preparing green lentil porridge with meat will be about two and a half hours (including preparatory activities). The nutritional value of the dish (per 100 grams of weight) will be 127 kcal.
The process of directly creating a dish consists of the following procedures:
How to make green lentil soup
Soup made from green lentils will diversify your nutritious diet and even surprise your household.
The beneficial properties of lentil cereals help people with pulmonary diseases, blood pressure problems, stomach diseases, and others to recover faster.
Its price is slightly higher than the cereals we are used to, but it is worth it. This product should definitely be present on the table of people who care about their health.
To cook lentil soup, we will need:
By the way, the same soup (only lean) can be prepared without using meat broth. Tomato can also be added or not (optional). Its preparation time will be halved, and so will its calorie content. Although, broth contains 100 grams of calories. is only 85 kcal., and on water - 67.
The cooking process will take about two hours.
- We clean, wash and chop all the necessary ingredients.
- Pour water into a saucepan, add the meat cut into pieces, cook it until tender (at least 1 hour).
- After 60 minutes, add washed lentil cereals to the meat.
- During this time, we prepare the remaining products and re-fry them.
- Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and add chopped onion, fry until golden brown and add carrots, sauté a little and add tomato.
- Simmer vegetables for 20-30 minutes.
- 20 minutes after cooking the lentils, cut the potatoes into cubes and throw them into the pan. In 15-20 minutes the potatoes will be ready.
- Now you can add overcooking, spices, boil the soup for another 5-10 minutes, it’s ready.
- Add greens.
Pour into plates and enjoy your healthy appetite! 
- Soaking will allow you to reduce the cooking time of green lentils (even 30 minutes is enough).
- In order to give the cereal additional softness, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water.
- This product may well replace meat in terms of its nutritional properties.
- Lentils lower blood sugar levels.
- An environmentally friendly product, which is so important in the modern world. This is explained by the fact that no harmful substances accumulate in lentils.
Eat lentils, stay healthy!
The recipe for green lentil dishes is unjustifiably forgotten; they can rightfully stand at the head of the dinner table.
Lentil cereal is a unique product that should be present in the kitchen of any housewife.
The next video contains a recipe for cooking lentils in a slow cooker.
My first acquaintance with lentil food happened at the University. Since my school years, I knew that lentils were used as food, but seeing a weed with that name, I could not imagine it. Let me remind you that I grew up and live in Siberia. So, while studying at the University, for some reason they suddenly sent us some kind of humanitarian aid. Which included a five-liter tin of vegetable oil, two kilograms of rice and two kilograms of green lentils. All products are of excellent quality. I first tried the lentil side dish that will be discussed then.
Ingredients for the lentil side dish (for dinner for four people):
two glasses of water
vegetable oil
If you have it, you can add tomato and bell pepper
Preparing the lentil side dish:
I'll tell you the recipe that I prepared. I think you can diversify it with tomatoes and peppers if you wish. Wash the lentils and soak in boiling water. Leave for 40-50 minutes. Or do not brew the lentils, but then you will need to increase the cooking time. Pour water over the lentils, add salt, put on the fire and bring to a boil. Cook until done. Cooking times vary for different varieties. As a rule, lentils are cooked for 15 to 25 minutes. Unlike, it is very difficult to spoil it during cooking.
While the lentils are cooking, peel the carrots and onions. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, finely chop the onion and fry it all in vegetable oil. It is at this point that you can add tomatoes and bell peppers (I simply didn’t have them on hand).
One of the titled queens of dietary and healthy nutrition is lentils. This is the most ancient type of legume; people have been eating it with pleasure since the Bronze Age, i.e. 4000 BC
This product is rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Vegetarians equate it to meat due to its high content of vegetable protein.
This type of grain has an amazing property: lentils do not absorb or accumulate harmful toxic substances found in the soil, so they can safely be called an environmentally friendly product.
This product is also an excellent source of iron. In order for this iron to be well absorbed, it must be served with a salad of greens and fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C. This cereal also promotes the production of serotonin, the hormone of joy.
You can read a lot about the amazing beneficial properties of lentils, however, you should remember that this product is difficult for the body to digest. If prepared incorrectly, a healthy dish can cause bloating and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to avoid negative consequences? It is necessary to first soak the grains in water for several hours, just in ordinary cold water, without salt or soda.
The soaking time depends on how much time has passed since harvest. If you bought lentils at the store, soak them in water at least overnight. During the soaking process, the grains will absorb water and almost double in size. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the grains and cook over low heat.
The water should cover the cereal by two centimeters (about two fingers). During cooking, you can add some seasonings, such as bay leaves, and olive oil.
How to deliciously cook lentils as a side dish
Lentils are a very nutritious product; you are guaranteed a feeling of satiety and energy for a productive day. And as a nice bonus, this product helps improve mood and fight depression due to the content of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin in the body.
So, let's get ready!
- Lentils – 300 gr.
- Onion – 2 pcs.
- Mustard – 10 gr.
- Vegetable oil – 30 ml.
- Red wine or apple vinegar – 20 ml.
- Cloves – 1 stick
- Bay leaf – 1 pc.
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Green onions – 5 pcs.
- Parsley - to taste
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
- Pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
- Nuts – 50 gr.
Below you can watch a detailed video recipe:
1. Wash the pre-soaked lentils and cook in a saucepan along with 1 whole onion, bay leaf and cloves for 35 minutes.
2. After 35 minutes, turn off the heat under the pan, remove the onion, bay leaf and cloves, and leave the side dish to cool.
3. Finely chop the second onion, green onions and parsley.
4. Prepare the sauce: mix the prepared mustard with vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and oil.
5. Mix lentils with chopped onions and herbs. Add chopped nuts and prepared sauce.
6. Stir and eat a delicious dish.
Recipe for cooking in a slow cooker
A miracle of technology - a multicooker helps us cook tasty and healthy meals for ourselves and our family. In a slow cooker, dishes are prepared as in a Russian oven, when all the ingredients were put into a pot at once, covered with a lid and sent to the oven to simmer.
In this recipe we will cook lentils with mushrooms in a slow cooker; the dish turns out very soft, tender and contains a lot of protein.
To prepare we will need:
- Red lentils – 280 gr.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Champignons – 250 gr.
- Hot water – 480 ml.
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. spoon
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
1. Chop the onion finely.
2. Cut the champignons into beautiful slices.
3. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl. Select a mode from the menu “frying” and “vegetables”, and press “start”.
4. Wait a little for the oil to heat up and place the mushrooms and onions in the multicooker bowl to fry for 7 minutes.
5. Turn off the “frying” mode and add the lentils, washed several times, to the bowl.
Secret: rinse the lentils several times to remove all the foam.
6. Pour hot water into the multicooker, add salt, stir.
Considering that when cooking in a slow cooker, the water does not evaporate, add a little less water than is written in the instructions on the package.
7. Turn on the “cereals” mode for 25 minutes and “start”. If you are using green lentils, you will need 40 minutes to cook them.
8. At the end of the cooking time, take out tender, uncooked lentils with mushrooms and treat them to your loved ones.
This dish is especially useful during fasting or for athletes.
The convenience of cooking in a multicooker lies in the compactness of the process itself: the oil does not splatter like in a frying pan, everything is cooked in one closed container. Set it up and go about your business.
Let the side dish brew for a while and eat. Bon appetit!
Delicious dietary recipe for cooking lentils
There are several types of lentils: red, green and brown. The red one cooks the fastest, about 20 minutes, but it also boils harder than the others, so it is better suited for making purees or soup.
Green is unripe brown. Therefore, it cooks longer than others and retains its shape better. You need to cook it for at least 1 hour; it is best used for salads or side dishes.
Brown is a fully ripened green, has a light nutty aroma, and cooks fairly quickly in 25 minutes. It's also boiling over.
- Lentils – 1 cup
- Lime or lemon juice – 1/2 pcs.
- Ginger – 1 cm.
- Onions or leeks – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 2 pcs.
- Tomatoes – 4 pcs.
- Salt, pepper, sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Greens, basil, oregano
Unfortunately, legumes can cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, to avoid them, soak the lentils overnight in cold water, as described above, then they will be better absorbed by your body and will not cause gas formation.
1. Wash the grains several times and cook on fire for 20-30 minutes, depending on its variety. Cereals soaked overnight will cook faster.
2. Pour hot water over the tomatoes to remove the skin and grate them. You can use frozen or canned tomatoes, tomato juice or paste.
3. Add chopped garlic, lime juice, salt, sugar, oregano, and basil to the grated tomatoes or paste.
4. Chop the onion and ginger and fry in oil in a frying pan, stirring constantly. After 2 minutes, add carrots to the pancut into thin strips.
5. Pour a mixture of tomatoes and spices into the frying pan, pepper and simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
6. Add boiled lentils to the pan, add herbs, simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve the finished dish with herbs. Bon appetit!
Delicious recipe with vegetables and smoked sausage
In this recipe we will cook lentils with vegetables. This is an excellent balanced dish: nutritious, high in vegetable protein, rich in vitamins and microelements. When combined with vegetables, dishes made from this legume are rich and light, similar to a vegetable stew.
Beans and smoked meats go very tasty. In this recipe we'll add some smoked sausage to the pan with some garnishes.
To prepare we will need:
- Lentils – 300 gr.
- Green pepper – 1 pc.
- Red pepper – 1 pc.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Tomato – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Bay leaf – 1 pc.
- Paprika, pepper, salt - to taste
- Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Smoked sausage – 100 gr.
1. Chop onion, garlic, pepper, carrots with a knife.
2. Scald the tomato with hot water, remove the skin, and chop finely.
3. Pour vegetable oil into the pan and, one by one, with an interval of 2 minutes, add onions, carrots, pepper, tomato, and paprika. At the end, add the washed, soaked lentils.
4. Add hot water to the pan so that it covers the lentils by two fingers.
5. 5 minutes before readiness, add smoked sausage to the pan,it will add flavor and piquancy to the dish.
6. Before serving, sprinkle the finished dish with herbs.Bon appetit!
Lentils with onions and carrots
A very simple and tasty recipe for a side dish with carrots and onions. For an appetizing smell, add garlic.
To prepare we will need:
- Green lentils – 400 gr.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Olive oil
1. Finely chop the onion and carrots and simmer in a high frying pan in olive oil.
2. Add soaked lentils to the pan and add water two fingers above the grain.
3. Cook over low heat for about an hour. Salt at the end of cooking.
Below you can watch a detailed video recipe.
This legume contains:
- Folic acid contains 120% of a person's daily requirement.
- Phosphorus to strengthen teeth and bones.
- Large amount of vegetable protein.
- Low fat content.
Beneficial features:
- Easy to digest.
- Does not accumulate toxic substances from the ground.
- Useful for diabetes and pregnant women.
- Reduces cholesterol levels.
- Is a source of protein.
- Among the contraindications, the property of gas formation should be noted. It is undesirable for people with gastrointestinal problems.
How to cook lentils with meat
Lentils go well with chicken, so we offer you a recipe with chicken fillet.
We will use green grains in this recipe because... they do not boil down into puree like, for example, red ones.
In this dish we have combined plant and animal protein, so the food will be very satisfying and quick to prepare. And it will be delicious.
To prepare we will need:
- Green lentils – 1 cup
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Chicken fillet – 200 gr.
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Seasoning for chicken
- Vegetable oil
1. Pour the soaked grains with cold water and cook for about 45 minutes.
Attention: in order for the broth to be more rich, the ingredients must be immersed in cold water so that, when heated, they have time to give their aromas and tastes to the broth.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in oil in a preheated frying pan for a couple of minutes.
3. Finely chop the fillet, mix with seasonings and salt, add to the pan with the onions and garlic, fry until tender.
4. Pour the finished boiled lentil cereal over the finished fried meat. Stir and fry for another 3 minutes.
Delicious side dish recipe with rice and mushrooms
Lenten delicious dish of lentils, rice and mushrooms. In order for all the ingredients in the dish to turn out beautiful and appetizing, we will fry them separately. If you want to simplify the cooking process, you can combine and fry all the vegetables together.
To prepare we will need:
- Green lentils – 70 gr.
- Onion – 2 pcs.
- Long grain rice – 200 gr.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Mushrooms – 400 gr.
- Vegetable oil
- Water – 350 ml.
- Salt pepper
- Curry, turmeric
1. Wash the soaked green lentils well and cook until tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Wash the rice several times and leave it in water for 20-40 minutes so that the starch comes out of it.
3. Wash the mushrooms and clean them if necessary.
Attention: to wash the mushrooms beautifully, add 1 tbsp. spoon of flour, pour cold water, leave to stand for 5 minutes and then wash.
4. Finely chop one onion and fry in a frying pan until golden brown.
5. Cut the mushrooms beautifully into slices and fry them in oil until golden brown, adding salt at the end. If you salt the mushrooms at the beginning, they will release their juice and will not turn out as beautiful.
6. Combine onions and mushrooms and fry together for 1 minute.
7. Cut the second onion.
Attention: to prevent tears from running from your eyes when chopping an onion, do not cut off the tail of the onion prematurely.
8. Cut the carrots into thin strips and simmer them together with the second onion in a frying pan in oil. Add curry and turmeric to lightly fried vegetables. These are the spices that rice is always paired with. Salt and pepper.
9. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan with the onions and carrots. Stir until all the rice is saturated with oil so it doesn’t stick together.
10. Add boiled lentils to the pan with vegetables and rice, salt and add fried mushrooms and onions.
12. Pour the broth into the frying pan, calculating that for 1 cup of rice you need 2 cups of liquid.
13. Add chopped or whole garlic.
14. Place the frying pan on medium heat, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. The rice turns out crumbly. Bon appetit!
Due to their beneficial properties, beans have long been included in the diet; lentil grains, from which side dishes and porridges are prepared, are considered especially popular. Considering that this legume has different varieties, many housewives will undoubtedly have a question: “how to cook lentils correctly”? In fact, there are no difficulties in this, the main thing is to know exactly how much each type of grain is cooked, and what cooking features it has.
Not only ordinary porridges can be made from lentil grains. Side dishes made from these legumes are no less popular. The technology for creating the dish itself is simple; you just need to decide in advance what type of lentil it will be prepared from - red, brown, black or green. This will help you quickly make a light, low-calorie lunch or dinner.
It is believed that red grains are not suitable for garnish, since they tend to boil quickly, taking on the appearance of a puree. But, nevertheless, the red variety has a pleasant spicy taste, and this is the most important condition for preparing such a tasty dish.
Ingredients
- Red lentils – 150 gr.
- Tomatoes – 2 pcs.
- Meat broth – 100 gr.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Garlic – 1-2 cloves.
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.
- Thyme – 2 sprigs (use only greens).
Spices for garnish(added to taste): ground black pepper, rosemary (dried), chili, paprika (red), salt, turmeric.
How to prepare a side dish
- Wash and peel the vegetables.
- Cut the onion into half rings.
- Three carrots on a fine (or medium) grater.
- Pour the slices into a frying pan, pour vegetable oil over the vegetables and fry them for no more than 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Sauté everything over medium heat.
- Soak the red lentil plates in water for a few minutes.
- We make cuts on the surface of the tomatoes, after which we place the fruits in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the skins from the tomatoes and cut the vegetables into small cubes.
- Place the tomato slices in a frying pan with onions and carrots, and continue sautéing the vegetables for another 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Add salt, lentils and meat broth to the sauté. Mix everything and simmer the vegetables for 2 minutes.
- We pass the garlic through a press, then add it along with the herbs and other spices to the side dish.
- Finally, simmer the beans and vegetables for another 5-7 minutes over low heat, after which the dish can be considered ready.
Serve the red lentil side dish hot. It is best served together with fish or meat dishes. It is advisable to serve the beans with sauce or ketchup; you can even make a dressing for the side dish from the red lentils themselves.
Ingredients
- - 5 glasses + -
- - 1.5 cups + -
- - 1 piece + -
- - on the tip of a knife + -
- - 1 piece + -
- — 1 tsp or to taste + -
- — 0.5 tsp or to taste + -
- - 1-2 tbsp. + -
- - 2 cloves + -
- Thyme - 2 sprigs + -
How to cook lentils deliciously
It’s not difficult to prepare a tasty green variety; the main thing is to know exactly how long to cook the grains so that they do not lose their shape.
Since green lentils take the longest to cook of all the popular types of this legume, many housewives avoid them when preparing a side dish. However, green plates taste no worse than the red and brown varieties, so they can be safely added to vegetable or meat side dishes.
- A few hours before cooking, soak the bean grains: pour water into a saucepan and pour the lentils into it. Be sure to add some salt to the water.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, then add pressed garlic to it for frying. You can also chop the garlic cloves by hand.
- When after 30 sec. Stew the garlic in vegetable oil - reduce the heat to a minimum flame and put a piece of butter in the frying pan.
- When the butter melts, add finely chopped carrots and onions to a preheated frying pan. Simmer until the cut becomes pleasantly soft and has a beautiful transparent color.
- Remove the lentils that were previously soaked from the water as soon as they “swell” and become soft. It is important not to overexpose it and prevent it from losing its shape.
- Place the lentil grains in a frying pan, add chopped thyme (use only the leaves) and fry everything over high heat. Do not forget to stir the side dish.
Serve the finished dish exceptionally hot. Before serving, you can sprinkle it with fresh finely chopped herbs or aromatic spices. You shouldn’t store boiled lentils for a long time, even as part of a side dish. It is better to eat the prepared portions on the day of preparation.
From this variety of legumes it is easy to make a delicious dinner for the whole family in just 30 minutes. Brown grains cook faster than others, but there are a lot of features in their preparation, knowledge of which cannot be avoided. Therefore, we will tell you in detail how to prepare dark lentils in a step-by-step recipe.
Ingredients
- Brown lentils – 1 cup;
- Tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Boiled rice (basmati) – 4 cups;
- Garlic – 3 cloves;
- Red onion – 2 cups;
- Salt – ¼ tsp;
- Vegetable (or olive) oil – 2 tsp;
- Cilantro (fresh) – ¼ cup;
- Vegetable broth - 3 cups;
- Spices - to taste.
Preparation
- Soak the brown lentil grains in water in advance.
- We wash and peel the vegetables.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic and cilantro.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over low heat.
- Add chopped onion to the heated bowl and simmer it, stirring occasionally. Extinguishing time – 15 minutes.
- When the onion softens in the pan, add the garlic, which we also saute over the fire for 5 minutes.
- Fill the roast with 3 tbsp. l. tomato paste, and sprinkle everything on top with spices. It is advisable that the seasoning be spicy; you can use a mixture of spices, for example, “Berbere”. Simmer the vegetables with seasoning and paste for another 1 minute.
- Pour vegetable broth over the ingredients and bring them to a boil over high heat.
- As soon as the grains are softened, transfer them to a saucepan, cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- After cooking the lentils until tender, salt them to taste. After this, mix the prepared beans with boiled rice and serve the side dish to the table.
- Laying out the dish into portions, decorate it with cilantro or any other greens.
You can serve the side dish not only with fresh vegetables, but also with fresh or pickled mushrooms, stewed chicken, fish or beef.
Soak
To soak or not
Whether it is necessary to soak lentils before cooking is the most common question among most housewives. There is an opinion that lentil grains are one of the few types of legumes that do not need to be soaked. This is true, but not a single grain of beans has yet suffered from “bathing” in water.
It is important not to forget that lentil plates lying in home bins become dry over time, and therefore they desperately need a fresh sip of water.
How long to soak lentils
Another, no less important, question that interests housewives is how long should lentils be soaked?
If the ripened grains are several months old, then 8 hours will be enough, but if the lentils have been lying around for six months, or even a year, then the soaking time can be increased to 12-24 hours. The longer the product sits, the more it will soak.
However, it is worth noting that it is not necessary to soak the plates for that long. Sometimes, it is enough to immerse the grains in water for just a few minutes so that they soften a little and regain their original shape.
Table of calorie content and cooking time for lentils
Not all housewives know well how much to cook brown, red, green and black lentils (another name is beluga lentils). One thing is certain: they have different cooking times and calories.
To make cooking simple and bring only pleasure, use the table below, which shows the calories of known types of lentils and the time it takes them to cook until tender.
Now you know how to cook different types of lentils. All the secrets for its preparation are easily applied in practice. Prepare a variety of stand-alone dishes from bean grains or add lentils as an additional ingredient to a side dish. May your cooking be successful and your lentil treat amazingly delicious.
Bon appetit!
Healthy eating, by definition, cannot be monotonous. Even the healthiest natural products cannot alone satisfy the body's needs for all proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And if you also care about vitamins and minerals, you will have to come up with a new menu every day so as not to lack nutrients. This would be very useful, but it is practically impossible. In reality, most of us only have time to vary a few common ingredients. If you don’t want to put up with this state of affairs, start introducing new foods into your diet. You can start with simple dishes: for example, cook lentils as a side dish.
You don’t often see lentils on the table of our compatriots, but in Eastern countries this legume is very popular. We are more accustomed to peas and beans, although lentils have a number of advantages over them.
Firstly, lentils do not need to be soaked in water before cooking. This procedure will not harm the cereal, but even without it, lentils cook quickly. Secondly, lentil protein is qualitatively different from the protein of other plants and contains almost all amino acids. This is especially true for people who, for whatever reason, avoid eating meat.
Beans, peas and soybeans lag significantly behind lentils in iron content. It also contains a lot of B vitamins traditional for legumes. Microelements are represented by zinc, manganese, potassium, manganese and phosphorus. And, of course, pectin and fiber, thanks to which the intestines and the entire digestive system work well. Regular consumption of lentils has a beneficial effect on skin condition, blood composition and maintaining a high level of immunity. All this should convince you to try lentils prepared according to one of the simple recipes.
Lentil recipes
- A simple lentil side dish. This cereal completely retains its shape when cooked. Especially the green one, while the red one is more boiled, and the dish turns out softer. The approximate cooking time for green lentils is 40 minutes, red lentils - 30 minutes, brown lentils - 25 minutes. The proportional ratio with water is 1:2. Cook over low heat, add salt 5 minutes before readiness.
- Lentils with vegetables. It takes longer to prepare, but it is in this combination that nutritionists recommend consuming it. For 1 cup of lentils, take 2 medium-sized carrots, 1 onion and 2 tomatoes. If there are no fresh tomatoes, two tablespoons of tomato paste will replace them. In addition, you will need dill (half a bunch is enough), 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (preferably olive, but sunflower can be used), 1 teaspoon of coriander. Pepper and salt - a pinch, to your taste.
Let the lentils cook. At this time, take care of the vegetables: wash everything, grate the carrots, cut the onions, tomatoes and herbs. Fry the onion in oil in a frying pan for 5 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables for another 5 minutes. By this time your lentils should be cooked. Drain the water and place it in the pan with the vegetables. Send dill, coriander, and pepper here. Add salt and stir. After 5 minutes covered over low heat, your lentils and vegetables are ready.
- Lentils with pasta. This recipe will certainly come in handy if you need to feed a hungry man. Cooked in this combination, lentils become not only tasty, but also a very nutritious side dish. Take equal parts of lentils and pasta and cook in two different pans. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients: 3 onions, 3 large tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Traditional pepper and salt, as well as cumin, turmeric, ground coriander - optional.
Heat a spoonful of oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan and fry the coriander with cumin. Almost immediately add the lentils and stir. You can turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside temporarily. In another frying pan, fry the thinly sliced onion in 4 tablespoons of oil. As soon as it starts to turn brown, add and mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with the onion. Now your task is to bring the onion to a golden color and a dry, crispy state. As soon as you get the desired condition, place the caramelized onions on a napkin to drain off excess oil.
In a third pan, fry the chopped garlic and turmeric in the remaining oil. Add diced tomatoes here (can be replaced with 4-5 tablespoons of natural tomato paste). Stir this sauce with a spatula and let it simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. When it thickens, turn it off.
Let’s start “assembling” our complex dish. Place lentils in a bowl with pasta, and tomato sauce on it. Golden onions will be the top layer, but you can sprinkle them with fresh herbs if desired.
- Ginger lentils in cream. This aromatic side dish for meat or fish will be appropriate even at the holiday table. Although it’s not difficult to prepare: just like last time, start cooking the cereal. Until it becomes soft, prepare the remaining ingredients: for 200 g of lentils, 50 g of butter and 100 ml of heavy cream. Tomatoes and onions - 2 pieces each. 3 cloves of garlic, a piece of ginger no larger than a finger. A teaspoon each of salt, turmeric and curry.
Thinly chop the onion and garlic, grate the ginger. Fry everything together until golden brown in butter. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and simmer together with spices for 5-7 minutes. Now it's time for cream, curry and turmeric. Add all this to the pan, turn the heat down to low and simmer covered for about 3 minutes. Add the prepared lentils, stir and remove from the stove.
