how do i cook really tasty lentils????

Question

im wanting to cook brown lentils but whats the best way to make them really good???

Answer 1

Fun With Lentils


Peas and Lentils are healthy and tasty with a variety of foods

Mind Your Peas and Lentils
Lentils comes in many different colors: red, yellow, green, and brown. Lentils and split peas enjoy a singular advantage over other legumes: they cook-up fast and need no pre-soaking. The smaller the bean, the smoother and creamier they cook up.

For some reason, I have encountered vegetarians who tend to cook relatively large brown lentils into a semi-dry brown mush resembling refried beans. Then they add gobs of stuck-together rice, making it even stodgier. I have discovered better ways to prepare smoother and tastier lentils.

How to Cook Them
I like lentils cooked to a more creamy consistency. That is why I prefer the Indian style yellow lentil/dahl. When cooked it is similar to split pea soup.

Lentils, as with any legume, should be cooked in water. Do not add salt, oil, veggies, meat or spices until the end. I have heard that a little baking soda and vinegar decrease gaseousness, but I simply skim the foam until the beans are fully cooked. Another way to cut the gas is to soak the beans for about 12 hours, but change the water before cooking.

You can use two cups of water per cup of lentils. These proportions are based on cooking with the pot cover on. This way, it will cook a little faster, use less energy, and perhaps retain more vitamins.

Bring the concoction to a boil, then turn the down the flame to medium-low. Make sure it does not boil over during the first half hour or so of cooking. If it gets too thick, add more water. The beans are cooked when they burst and the water turns syrupy. Only at this point is it possible to add stuff to it.

Onion Lentils
Cook lentils as described above. Chop up two medium onions. Several cloves of garlic and several stalks of celery (chopped up) may also be added at the same time. In a frying pan on a low to medium heat, caramelize the veggies (that is slow cook them with a generous amount of oil in a heavy skillet until they begin to crisp). Then add them to the fully cooked lentils. Add salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and replace lid. Allow flavors to marry for 5-10 minutes.

More You Can Add
In addition to the above veggies, mushrooms (fresh or re-hydrated) may also be added. You can add olive oil, butter, cream, or evaporated milk. Chill. Drain or drink any excess water that forms on top as the lentils cool and separate. The pot should not be stirred after this point. Once cooled, it can slide out of the pot like a mold of salmon mousse. NOTE: The trick is to cook the lentils as thick as possible while still being a little soupy.

Lentil Dahl
Cook up some Indian curry or curry paste in butter or ghee (ghee is clarified butter). You can add a spoonful of Indian Curry paste to the dahl.

More on the Littlest Legumes
A pot of cooked lentils and a companion pot of rice can be cooked in about 40 minutes. If you do not mind leftovers, you can cook extra and refrigerate them. You can use it for a number of meals over the next several days.

For each meal, add some fresh, chopped veggies, oil, vinegar, and other condiment mixtures as you re-heat a serving size portion. NOTE: It is not good to keep reheating the same portion.

Plain yellow lentil soup may be added as a filler to spaghetti carbonara or can be added to a curried lentil lamb stew. Cooked brown lentils also work as a ground beef substitute in tomato sauce.
enjoy

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Tasty Lentils

Answer 4

Lentil soup is the best.

Lentil Soup Recipe

1 bag lentils
Water
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp parsley
2 cans diced tomatoes
Red wine vinegar

Wash lentils and place in pot with water to cover about 1" over the top. Add onion, carrot, garlic, pepper and parsley. Mix well. Cook, covered, for one hour. Add tomatoes and a large amount of vinegar (I don't measure this, I just shake and shake until I think it's enough, but I can tell you it's a lot. If I don't add enough, it's kind of bland and dh won't eat it.). Cook for 30 more minutes. Serve with thick, crusty bread and a salad.

Answer 5

I suggest exploring ethnic options, like interior Mexican or Indian styles. India is pretty much a vegetarian nation so they rely HEAVILY on legumes to provide protein and have done so for millennia, so they must be doing something right. The dal (red lentils) I make ~once a week has tons of spices in it: onion, cumin, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, coriander, chilis, fenugreek, garam masala (itself a blend of cloves, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom) and lemon juice. Hummus is a good snack option as long as you avoid salt.

Answer 6

If you're not a vegetarian, you'll love this. Simmer them in chicken broth seasoned w/ saffron & a bay leaf for about 20 min. Add a couple handfuls of rice and simmer another 25 min. Yummy!!

Options: Add some chunks of sauteed chicken & onions, plenty of salt & black pepper & cayenne pepper. It's a complete, 1-dish meal & very satisfying. Also, get crazy & add chick peas. You'll be full for days! lol

Answer 7

- fry some chopped onions in a little oil until they are transparent
- add some spices like cumin, coriander and turmeric about a teaspoon of each
- add the lentils and fry for a few minutes
- mash it all up with a tablespoon
- serve and enjoy!

Answer 8

Get an Indian cook book!
But always remember to soak them first for a few hours at least or better over night.

Answer 9

if you can get tomatoes with olives and herbs already in them from your supermarket: fry up an onion with chili and garlic, with bacon (or mushrooms if you're veggie). add a tin/carton of the tomatoes and simmer. meanwhile, boil up the lentils and add the sauce to them.

Answer 10

only way lentils are tasty is soup