How to cook lentil dishes. Original lentil recipes

Cooking is a scrupulous process that requires compliance with the 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 at the present time, despite its unconditional benefits. Lentil porridge is an extremely rare phenomenon, even strange by today's standards.

This product appeared on the shelves of stores, people slowly begin to remember it and eat it, excelling in its preparation.

In the process of preparing green lentils, a number of steps must be followed.

The first is the choice of cereals. 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 the product determines its main characteristics and properties, in particular, its taste. What they all 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 buying.

Before starting cooking, the lentils must be washed and sorted out well.

The second stage is to boil water (its amount should be doubled compared to the amount of lentils) and throw the finished cereal into it. Often people do not know how long to boil green lentils. So, you need to cook it for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

How to cook green lentils for a side dish

in a saucepan

Depending on the dishes where the porridge will be cooked, separate rules for its cooking are distinguished. Firstly, this type of legume is not pre-soaked. Secondly, lentils are sent to boiled, unsalted water in a ratio of 1: 2 (green lentils / water).

Leave it on low heat (to maintain a boil) under the lid for thirty minutes. To give an unusual taste to the pan, you can add spices from aromatic herbs: cloves, sage, others to your liking, various sauces.

in the microwave

The method of cooking cereals in a microwave oven is as follows:

• we send the washed green lentils to a special dish made of heat-resistant glass for microwave;
• fill it with water (1.5-2 cm higher than cereals), salt;
• a container with lentils is placed in the microwave for cooking vegetable dishes, for about 7-10 minutes.

Lentils in the microwave are unusually soft and crumbly.

How to cook green lentils with meat in a slow cooker

To prepare a lentil-meat dish, you will need the following ingredients:

• lentil groats (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 cooking green lentil porridge with meat will be about two and a half hours (taking into account preparatory activities). The nutritional value dishes (per 100 grams of weight) will be equal to 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 allow you to diversify your nutritious diet and even surprise your household.

The beneficial properties of lentils help people with pulmonary diseases, problems with blood pressure, diseases of the stomach, others.

Its price is slightly higher than the cereals we are used to, but it is worth it. This product must be present on the table of people who monitor their health.

To cook lentil soup, we need:

By the way, the same soup (only lean) can be prepared without the use of meat broth. Tomato can also be added or not (optional). Its preparation time will be halved, calorie content too. Although, in the broth, its calorie content per 100 gr. is only 85 kcal., and on the water - 67.

The cooking process will take about two hours.

1. We clean, wash and grind all the necessary ingredients.
2. Pour water into a saucepan, send the meat cut into pieces there, cook it until tender (at least 1 hour).
3. After 60 minutes, add the washed lentil groats to the meat.
4. During this time, we prepare the rest of the products and do the overcooking.
5. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and spread the chopped onion, fry until golden brown and add the carrots, sauté a little and add the tomato.
6. Simmer vegetables for 20-30 minutes.
7. 20 minutes after cooking the lentils, cut the potatoes into cubes, throw them into the pan. In 15-20 minutes the potatoes will be ready.
8. Now you can add overcooking, spices, boil the soup for another 5-10 minutes, it is ready.
9. We add greens.

Pour into bowls and enjoy a healthy appetite!

1. Soaking green lentils will reduce the cooking time (even 30 minutes is enough).
2. In order to give the cereal additional softness, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water.
3. This product may well replace meat in terms of its nutritional properties.
4. Lentils lower blood sugar levels.
5. Environmentally friendly product, which is so important in modern world. This is due to the fact that no harmful substances accumulate in lentils.

Eat lentils, be healthy!

The recipe for green lentil dishes is unjustifiably forgotten, they can rightfully be at the head of the dinner table.

Lentil groats are a unique product that should be present in the kitchen of any housewife.

in the next video - a recipe for cooking lentils in a slow cooker.

Red lentils belong to the legume family. It makes simple and delicious dishes. Due to the absence of fat and high content proteins, red lentils can be included in the diet of even a losing weight person. But how do you cook red lentils? You will find out the answer to this question by reading this article.

Ingredients

red lentils 1 stack Carrot 1 piece(s) Onion 1 piece(s) Salt 1 tsp Vegetable oil 1 tbsp Ground black pepper 2 pinches

• Servings: 4
• Time for preparing: 30 minutes

Red lentil porridge with carrots

The recipe for this porridge will appeal to those who save their time and watch their figure.

Ingredients:

Red lentils - 1.5 cups;

Carrots - 1 pc.;

Onion - 1 pc.;

Salt - 1 tsp;

Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.;

Ground black pepper (to taste).

Before using lentils, rinse well under running water. Next, fill it with water in a ratio of 1: 2 (1 part red lentils to 2 parts water). Add salt, pepper and bring to a boil. After that, you need to reduce the fire of the stove to a minimum level.

How much to cook red lentils so that the porridge does not burn? About 20-30 minutes. While it is cooking, grate the carrots on a coarse grater and finely chop onion. Put the vegetables in a heated and oiled frying pan and fry until golden color. After that, add them to the finished porridge and mix. The dish is ready.

This porridge can also be used as a side dish.

Brazilian lentils with tomatoes

How to cook red lentils for a side dish without using a stove? For this you can use microwave oven. This method of cooking lentils is borrowed from Brazilian cuisine.

Ingredients:

Red lentils - 0.5 tbsp.;

Tomato - 2 pcs.;

Onions - 0.5 pcs.;

Salt - 0.25 tsp;

Olive oil- 1 tbsp;

Ground black pepper -0.25 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

We wash the lentils and fill them with water for half an hour. After this time, we send the workpiece to the microwave, set to maximum power, for 10 minutes. Before this, you need to make sure that the water covers the lentils by 2-3 cm at least. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water and remove the peel from them. Next, we cut them together with onions into small pieces, mix with olive oil and send them to the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Tomatoes should become soft. After that, salt and pepper them, to give a piquant taste, pour lemon juice and add to the lentils. After mixing, send the dish again to the microwave for 2-3 minutes. The Brazilian side dish is ready.

Ecology of consumption: For all its merits, lentils are not the easiest product to digest. Today we share the secrets of cooking lentils and original recipes.

For all its merits, lentils are not the easiest product to digest. Today we share the secrets of cooking lentils and original recipes.

A good lentil dish will always find a place on the table in summer and winter. This surprisingly satisfying type of legume is almost on a par with meat in protein content, and surpasses many side dishes in taste.

However, it is important to remember that, like other legumes, grains, and seeds, lentils remain a hard-to-digest food that, if not properly cooked, can hamper the digestive tract and cause bloating. Are there ways to avoid such unpleasant consequences?

The answer is: yes, and many intuitively use them all the time. In today's review, we share the secrets of making easy-to-digest lentils, and also share 3 delicious lentil recipes for practicing the skill.

How to properly prepare lentils

As we just said, unprepared lentils are literally a digestive challenge. The fact is that absolutely all legumes contain special substances - inhibitors that do not allow grains to germinate without sufficient moisture and literally block our enzymes, thus slowing down digestion. This is exactly what happens every time we boil dry lentils. Of course, with good digestion, such a process can pass without a trace. However, if you got the sensitive organs of the gastrointestinal tract, or if lentils get on your table with enviable regularity, then you should think about the "workarounds" of cooking.

Preliminary soaking of lentils for several hours in water, which essentially imitates the ingress of grain into wet soil and neutralizes inhibitors, also transferring all nutrients into a more bioavailable form. Rinse the grains, fill them with water and leave them in a saucepan under the lid.

According to various sources, it is better to soak lentils for 3-7 hours or even overnight - that is how much is required to neutralize the inhibitors. Also, experts advise soaking lentils in a warm place - this way the process will go even faster. After soaking, drain the water, rinse the lentils and proceed to the selected cooking method.

How to cook lentils: useful tips

Pay attention to spices

Choose spices for lentils that have a positive effect on the absorption of legumes: asafoetida, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, fresh and dried ginger.

Choose the type of lentil

Different varieties of lentils, according to their characteristics, are better suited for different dishes. For example, green French "marbled" lentils practically do not boil soft, so cooks often use them to add to salads. Orange lentils are the perfect base for a hearty soup, while brown lentils are good as a side dish and as the main ingredient in a main course with meat.

Record the time

Lentil varieties also differ in cooking time. Boil red for 25-30 minutes, brown will be ready in 20-25 minutes, but for elastic green it will take all 40 minutes. It is important to note that it is not recommended to boil lentils in salted water, as this only increases the cooking time - just salt them at the end.

Red lentil and carrot soup

Light, nutritious and quick to prepare, soup is an excellent dietary lunch option for all occasions.

Ingredients:

Cumin 2 tsp

red pepper flakes

Olive oil 2 tbsp. l.

Grated carrots600 g

Red lentils 140 g

Vegetable broth1 l

Milk125 ml

Cooking method:

Soak lentils overnight. Drain the water and rinse it.

Heat the cumin and pepper flakes in a dry skillet until fragrant.

Transfer half of the spices from the pan to a plate, and add oil to the remaining ones and add carrots, lentils, broth and milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes until soft.

Run the soup in a blender until smooth or more textured.

Serve hot with Indian flatbread, garnishing the soup with the remaining spices.

2. Salad with green lentils and red onions

A bright vitamin salad that can decorate even festive table. To prepare this dish, we advise you to take a dense variety of green "De Puy" lentils, which will retain their shape when cooked.

Ingredients:

• Green lentils "De Puy" 250 g
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• White wine or apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. l.
• Red onion 1 pc.
• Olive oil 2 tbsp. l.
• Ground cumin 1 tsp
• Garlic 1 clove
• Mango sauce or dressing to taste 2 tbsp. l.
• cilantro
• Cherry tomatoes 250 g
• Spinach 85 g

Unfortunately, lentils are not very common, largely due to ignorance of recipes and features.

Some of the most popular varieties in the world can be roughly divided into green, red and brown lentils.

Yes, very simple, much easier than other legumes.

The colors of lentils differ in cooking time: green - it takes a little longer to cook, but it practically does not boil soft. Red and brown lentils cook much faster: dipped in boiling water, such lentils will cook in 20-25 minutes. Lentils, unlike their relatives peas and beans, do not need to be soaked. When cooking, it is not salted, like all legumes, since salt will slow down the process.

Before you start cooking lentils, you need to sort it out, rinse it in several waters. Boil by adding twice as much water: for a glass of lentils - 2 glasses of water. During the cooking process, stir the lentils a couple of times. There are no special tricks in cooking, and the result is unexpected.

No. 1. The easiest lentil - lentil soup.

Very satisfying and nutritious soups with this product are prepared very simply, according to the usual "soup" scheme: send chopped potatoes and sorted and washed lentils to the pan, pour water (not bad - boiling water). While the base is being cooked, make a frying of onions and carrots, tomato is welcome, but does not dominate. When the potatoes are ready (about 15 minutes from the beginning of the boil), add the onions and carrots, spices, including salt and pepper. And that's it! When serving, sprinkle with herbs. It can be served with croutons, but it's also good without them.

Soups are perfectly diversified by adding other ingredients, for example, pumpkin, pre-fried with onions and carrots, pickles or tomatoes (preferably green and strong), all kinds of smoked meats, sausages, of course - natural meat, leeks, cheese. The enumeration can take up a lot of space and time. It all depends on the imagination and capabilities of the hostess.

No. 2. for second courses.

The main dishes are almost always boiled lentils, which, when ready, are thrown into a colander, letting the water drain, and then seasoned to taste, stewed with other ingredients, baked, that is, brought to full readiness.

Cook lentils for second courses well, adding onion (chopped or whole), garlic ( better whole), herbs tied in a bunch, spices that you like more. The sacred action comes when the lentils are almost completely ready. We strain the liquid and fantasize.

A good, very simple recipe for cooking lentils: fry a few sausages (cutting - whatever you like), you can add bacon or bacon, throw lentils into the same pan and simmer lightly under a lid over low heat. At the end, you can add cream or sour cream, or you can do without them. As a variety: this dish perfectly perceives sweet and sour berries and fruits, for example, plums, cherry plums, currants, acquiring a completely unusual taste and appearance.

Another simple recipe for making lentils: mix the finished product with fried onions, a clove of garlic passed through a press, spices to taste, form cutlets, roll in flour (preferably in a lezon) and fry until brown. With Chili or Tartar sauce - great both cold and hot.

Lentils with meat can take the leading place on the table. It is better to bring the meat almost to full readiness in advance, then add the lentils.

Sprinkle flour from the leg, place in a thick-walled bowl (such as a cauldron or duckling), where there is already a finely chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic, pour water or broth and cook over low heat for about 1 hour after boiling. The so-called lamb languor. After an hour, open it, add lentils (4 legs - 300 grams), add tomatoes - fresh or stewed, spices, salt, you can put or just fried, red Bell pepper and cook for another 30 minutes under the lid over low heat. Sprinkle generously at the end. large quantity chopped parsley. A couple more minutes - and the smell will drive anyone who comes close to such a dish crazy!

With pork or beef, the procedure is the same: almost ready-made meat plus lentils plus additives from the mistress-craftswoman - and simmer over low heat until fully cooked.

In the form of an additive, mushrooms are perfect: fried, stewed, with and without onions, mushrooms perfectly shade lentils.

No. 3. Lentils in salads.

Green (French) lentils are perfect for salads, they practically do not boil soft and are in perfect harmony with other ingredients.

Green lentils when boiled resemble coins. Therefore, here is the recipe for "Money Salad", which can be prepared for any occasion (and without it).

Boil a glass of green lentils (see previous recipes). A handful of dried apricots - steamed, cut into strips and fried with one onion vegetable oil. Chop a handful of walnuts. Add strained lentils, nuts, salt, pepper, spices to taste in a pan with onions and dried apricots, slightly simmer under a tightly closed lid (4-5 minutes). Cool down. Salad with "coins" is ready!

With the current availability of information, everyone will be able to choose their own own recipe cooking lentils, this undeservedly forgotten great product!

Mankind has been using lentils in its diet for thousands of years. It is a huge success among vegetarians, because lentils are an excellent substitute for animal protein.

This legume has several varieties. True, not all housewives are aware of how to cook lentils correctly so that the benefits and taste of this cereal are not wasted. It's time to find out.

Preparation before cooking

Before you start cooking lentils of any variety, you need to rinse the grains in cold water. After washing, the debris will be clearly visible on the surface - it must be removed.

Lentil beans do not need to be pre-soaked, as, for example, they do with beans or peas.

They do not cook for long, so such measures are unnecessary.

Some housewives boil lentils in salted or acidified water to give it original taste. The cooking time in this case increases. Therefore, it is recommended to salt the dish only at the final stage of cooking.

But in order to cook a lentil dish correctly, tasty and not overcooked, you need to lower it into already boiling water.

After boiling again, the fire must be reduced to a minimum division and cooked without lifting the lid, from 10 to 40 minutes. The variety of this legume also determines how much to cook lentils exactly on time.

Different varieties dictate next time cooking:

• red grains - half an hour;
• brown beans - 25 minutes;
• green varieties - 40 minutes;
• orange grains - 20 minutes.

Variety of lentil garnishes

The simplest side dish is obtained from green lentils, because it is this variety that retains its shape best. Red can boil too soft, and the dish will be too soft. Although if you calculate the time correctly, these shortcomings can be avoided.

The garnish is prepared in a proportional ratio of cereals with water 1:2. The main thing in its preparation is to simmer and salt for 5 minutes until cooked.

Another garnish option is with vegetables. He prepares for a long time. But it is this combination that is most beneficial for the body. Yes, and very tasty too.

To make it, you need to take:

• lentils - 1 cup;
• tomato - 2 pcs.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• medium-sized carrots - 2 pcs.;
• a bunch of dill;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• coriander;
• pepper;
• salt.

Tomato paste is a good substitute for tomatoes, if suddenly they are not at hand.

It is not necessary to soak lentils before cooking, it is recommended to immediately lower the product into boiling water. While the side dish is cooking, you can do vegetables: grate carrots, chop tomatoes, onions and dill. After frying the onion, add the rest of the vegetables to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

The next step is to drain the water from the lentils and put them on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the dish with dill, coriander and pepper. To bring the side dish with vegetables to its logical conclusion, you need to leave it to sweat a little under a closed lid.

Cooking lentils in a slow cooker: tasty and fast

To prepare a legume in a slow cooker, you need to take simple products:

• for 1 glass of lentils - 2 glasses of water;
• onions - 1 head;
• adjika - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• salt;
• spices.

The process consists of the following main steps:

• grate carrots,
• peel and cut the onion
• fry cooked foods in a slow cooker on the “Baking” mode,
• squeeze the garlic into the vegetable mixture, fry for another 10 minutes,
• rinse lentils under running water running water but don't soak
• add grits to fried vegetables in a slow cooker,
• add water, salt and pepper,
• spice up homemade adjika. You can use tomato paste instead if you like.

Set the multicooker mode to "Porridge", "Pilaf", "Buckwheat" or "Rice". Estimated cooking time is about an hour. Readiness to follow, as exact time difficult to install.

Properly cooked lentils are not only healthy, but also tasty.

All your family members will appreciate it. And knowing how much and how to cook lentils, you can fantasize and invent more and more new dishes of your personal and healthy menu.