Cooking with lentils
Posted by darth_mod on Mar 10, 2009 · Member since Mar 2009 · 2 posts
I've never really cooked with lentils before so I'm wondering what would it be used for?
I'm in the middle of trying to make a veggie pasta bake and am wondering if I can add lentils to it. Would this give it a meatier texture and flavour or am I way off base as to what lentils are like and what their used for?
lentils are delicious and so easy & fast to cook. just browse around the recipe section under the 'beans, legumes' category and select lentils. or just type lentil into the search function & you'll get tons of recipes. soups, sloppy joes, salads, meat-like loaves, etc. is it a tomato saucey pasta bake? i know theres a recipe that keeps popping up on the front page that uses lentils added to pasta sauce instead of tvp or meat. don't expect it to be the same texture as meat or tvp though, theyre not chewy like that - they're pretty much little beans so expect that texture.
Thanks propinecone. Yes it is a tomato base pasta bake. So far its just onion, garlic with grated carrot, mushroom and sweet potato (not sure how the sweet potato will go, its the day before shopping day so I'm a bit short on food selection and wanting to use up any foods I have).
I'll try typing "lentils" into the serach (derr). I've been browsing and browsing all over the site. Well I will now try it the quick way. Thanks again.
Soo many ways to make lentils! Dahl (Indian style lentils) as a side dish or main dish. Soups and stews. In pasta sauce, pastitsio and others. Even cooked plain and dressed like a salad with tomato and onion and red pepper chunks, with oil and vinegar! Use the categories here, and don't forget to look at Spanish and Indian Recipes too. You will find they grow on you.
I hope it's not too late. I just wanted to point out that if you are adding lentils to a casserole, you probably should cook them first, in case you don't realize that.
If you guys want Indian Recipes of Dhall, Lentils and Indian sauces, you may visit my website,
http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/rasam-sambar.html
NJA
I had planned on making Dahl for the first time this week, but when I went to the store last night, I couldn't find red lentils. I found green lentils, but not red. (I've never had lentils before, so I don't know the difference between the colors) But I was at Wal-Mart....they didn't even have coconut milk....how bizarre!
I had planned on making Dahl for the first time this week, but when I went to the store last night, I couldn't find red lentils. I found green lentils, but not red. (I've never had lentils before, so I don't know the difference between the colors) But I was at Wal-Mart....they didn't even have coconut milk....how bizarre!
I usually have to go to an Indian grocery store to get red lentils. So while I'm there I just stock up! Indian groceries tend to sell bulk items far cheaper than say, Whole Foods, or a chain store that carries items in their "ethnic" section. It may be a bit of a haul to find a store, but usually worth it.
3 lb bags of mung dal, urad dal and red lentils will last you a while and will carry you through alls ort of delicious Indian style meals. Pick up some garam masala and coriander seeds while your there, too. You will save big bucks not just on the spices, but grinding your own coriander, too.
darth_mod , I recommend boiling a cup of lentils for 20 minutes, and simply adding a can of sloppy joe sauce. Tasty, quick, and... oh yeah, tasty!
Edit to add: Naga Jolokia Addict, those recipes look awesome!
Keep in mind that red and green/brown lentils are very different! I've been making lentil pasta sauce quite a bit, lately. I know there are several recipes for it, but all you really need to do is make a tomato based sauce-onions, garlic, spices and herbs, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, etc., boil 1/2-1 cup of red lentils in 1-2 cups water (depending on how many cups of lentils) for about 20 minutes (you don't want them absolute mush), and add those to the sauce! They do make the sauce a lot heartier. Some recipes just call for cooking the lentils in the tomato sauce, but I don't think it's as good that way.
If you guys want Indian Recipes of Dhall, Lentils and Indian sauces, you may visit my website,
http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/rasam-sambar.html
NJA
Oh wow...I hadn't realised that was you! I thought when you posted the link before, it was just a page you knew of.
Wow, I actually know a celebrity! ;)b
I had planned on making Dahl for the first time this week, but when I went to the store last night, I couldn't find red lentils. I found green lentils, but not red. (I've never had lentils before, so I don't know the difference between the colors) But I was at Wal-Mart....they didn't even have coconut milk....how bizarre!
red lentils cook much quicker ..20 minutes, brown lentils about 40.
the coconut milk in walmart is usually in the same section as the oriental stuff..soy sauce, nori, canned bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. There is also some by the mexican section but for some reason it cost more over there... ??? Haven't figured that one out yet. I am pretty sure most walmarts are set up the same way.
If you guys want Indian Recipes of Dhall, Lentils and Indian sauces, you may visit my website,
http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/rasam-sambar.html
NJA
Oh wow...I hadn't realised that was you! I thought when you posted the link before, it was just a page you knew of.
Wow, I actually know a celebrity! ;)b
yabbitgirl,
I am no celebrity....actually I am a cook who loves cooking . I just happen to be known by more people than an average person.
NJA
Keep in mind that red and green/brown lentils are very different!
True so! I usually buy the normal everyday Spanish lentil which must be the "green" one, because I happened to buy the tiny, rounder, brown one the other day...and what a sensation! The taste was very different to what I was used to. It's hard to describe but the green ones seem stodgier, starchier, while the brown absorbed the cooking spices beautifully and added richness of their own.
A popular TV cook of the 80's often talked about the "peppery" taste of lentils. I always wondered what lentils he was eating. They're delcious but in my experience ony peppery if you add pepper or chili or similar.
A small guide to buy lentils in Indian/Pakistani grocery.
Channa Dal............Garbanzo split/chick pea split
Moong Dal..............Mung Bean or Green Gram (this comes in two varieties. One with skin which is green and without skin is yellow)
Toor Dal.................Pigeon pea, Yellow Dhal
Masoor Dal..............Red Gram, Red Lentil
Urad/Urid Dal...........Black Gram. (this also comes with skin and without skin. It is a bit sticky when cooked).
We get all the above without splits and you may ask the shop keeper for whole variety.
NJA
If you guys want Indian Recipes of Dhall, Lentils and Indian sauces, you may visit my website,
http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/rasam-sambar.html
NJA
Thank you! I'm always looking for great indian recipes! :D
A popular TV cook of the 80's often talked about the "peppery" taste of lentils. I always wondered what lentils he was eating. They're delcious but in my experience ony peppery if you add pepper or chili or similar.
Red lentils have a strong taste of black pepper every time I've had them plain.. very yum. These lentils are bright red/orange colored.
I wish I still had a tiny cookbook I used to have in the 70s. It was a corny little book, creating by "wives of farmers." But here was the cool part -- it was ALL lentil recipes -- very unusual and different -- produced by Lentil Growers of America . I used to cook lentils a LOT, and this is one of my favorites: Kedegree. Cooked brown rice. Cooked lentils.
Indian spices sauted in Earth Balance. Then pour the melted butter over the cooked lentils and rice and salt to taste. Easy, Cheap, Healthy, Delcious.
Spout 'em!
Multiplication in nutritional values.
Decreased energy consumption.
Curried Sprouted Lentils with a Ginger and Garlic Cilantro Sauce</a>
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/02/curried-sprouted-lentils-with-a-ginger-and-garlic-cilantro-sauce.html
ok so sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I have a question to ask regarding lentils.
Thanks to waynes recent post in 'what's your favourite.....recipe' thread, I have recently bought a bag of brown lentils and a bag of green lentils.
I want to put the green lentils in my salads to up the protein, but when I went to use them yesterday the bag said I needed to soak them overnight first and then cook for 20 mins. I thought lentils didn't need presoaking, so do I really really need to presoak?
How does everyone else cook green lentils and how do you cook brown lentils?
I am happy to make my own recipes with them, if I know how they need to be prepared/cooked, so I'm not actually after recipes, just how to cook them.
Thanks all!
ok so sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I have a question to ask regarding lentils.
Thanks to waynes recent post in 'what's your favourite.....recipe' thread, I have recently bought a bag of brown lentils and a bag of green lentils.
I want to put the green lentils in my salads to up the protein, but when I went to use them yesterday the bag said I needed to soak them overnight first and then cook for 20 mins. I thought lentils didn't need presoaking, so do I really really need to presoak?
How does everyone else cook green lentils and how do you cook brown lentils?
I am happy to make my own recipes with them, if I know how they need to be prepared/cooked, so I'm not actually after recipes, just how to cook them.
Thanks all!
I don't know the difference between cooking brown and green lentils, but I've never soaked lentils-just rinsed. I usually do them in a soup-so they just cook in the broth and stuff for about....45 minutes? Maybe more, I'm not sure. Nothin' fancy.
If you forget to soak them overnight, cover in boiling water, cover the pot, and let stand for 1 hr. I never pre-soak lentils, either. But then there might be some kinds that need it.
You can boil them on the stove for about 45 min, or in a pressure cooker pan for about 15-20.