Lentils are a wonderful bean family culture . Unfortunately, lentils are not very common, largely due to lack of knowledge of recipes and features.
Some of the most popular varieties in the world can conditionally be divided into green, red and brown lentils.
How to cook lentils? Yes, very simple, much simpler than other legumes.
The colors of lentils differ in cooking time: green - it cooks a little longer, but practically does not boil. Red and brown 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 in several waters. Cook by adding twice as much water: 2 cups of water per glass of lentils. During cooking, stir the lentils a couple of times. There are no special tricks in cooking, but the result is unexpected.
No. 1. The simplest recipe for lentils is lentil soup.
Very nutritious and nutritious soups with this product are prepared very simply, according to the usual "soup" scheme: send chopped potatoes and picked and washed lentils to the pan, pour water (not bad - boiling water). While the base is cooked, make a frying of onions and carrots, a tomato is welcome, but does not dominate. When potatoes are ready (about 15 minutes from the start of boiling) add onions and carrots, spices, including salt and pepper. And that’s all! When serving - sprinkle with herbs. You can serve with croutons, but without them it’s not bad.
Soups are very diverse 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. Listing can take up a lot of space and time. It all depends on the imagination and capabilities of the hostess.
No. 2. The recipe for cooking lentils for main dishes.
The basis of the main dishes is almost always boiled lentils, which, when ready, are thrown into a colander, allowed to drain water, and then seasoned to taste, stewed with other components, baked, that is, brought to complete readiness.
It is good to cook lentils for second courses by adding onions (chopped or whole), garlic (preferably whole), herbs tied in a bunch, and spices that you like more. Sacred action occurs when lentils are almost ready. We filter out the liquid and fantasize.
A good, very simple recipe for cooking lentils: fry a few sausages (slicing - which one you like), you can add bacon or lard, put the lentils in the 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 cooking 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 blender) and fry until brown. With chili or tartar sauce, it’s great both cold and hot.
Lentils with meat can take a dominant place on the table. It is better to bring the meat in advance almost completely ready, then add the lentils.
With lamb: sprinkle the lamb legs with flour, place in a thick-walled bowl (such as a cauldron or duckweed), 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 languishing mutton. After an hour, open, fill in lentils (4 legs - 300 grams), add tomatoes - fresh or stewed, spices, salt, you can put Korean carrots or just fried, red bell pepper and cook for another 30 minutes under the lid over low heat. At the very end, sprinkle with plenty of chopped parsley. Just a couple of 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 finished meat plus lentils plus additives from the mistress, and simmer on low heat until cooked.
As an additive, mushrooms are perfect: fried, stewed, with and without onions, mushrooms perfectly shade lentils.
No. 3. Lentils in salads.
For salads, green (French) lentils are perfect, it practically does not boil and perfectly harmonizes with other ingredients.
Boiled green lentils resemble coins. Therefore, here is the recipe for "Money Salad", which can be prepared for any reason (and without it).
Boil a glass of green lentils (see previous recipes). A handful of dried apricots - steamed, cut into strips and fry with one onion in vegetable oil. Grind a handful of walnuts. In a pan with onions and dried apricots, add strained lentils, nuts, salt, pepper, spices to taste, simmer slightly under a tightly closed lid (4-5 minutes). Cool. Salad with "coins" is ready!
With the current availability of information, everyone can choose their own recipe for cooking lentils, this undeservedly forgotten great product!