Basic Lentils Food

HOW TO COOK LENTILS

Steps:

• Fill a medium-to-large saucepan with water, leaving several inches of room at the top. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, sort through your lentils for debris. I do this by slowly pouring the lentils into a fine-mesh sieve, keeping a careful eye out for any tiny rocks or extraneous materials. Sift through the lentils with your fingers to make sure you didn't miss anything. Then, rinse your lentils under running water until the water runs clear. Set aside.
• Once the water is boiling, add the rinsed lentils. Add the salt, and the bay leaf and/or garlic, if using.
• If you're cooking red lentils, set the timer for 6 minutes. For regular green lentils, set the timer for 13 minutes. For black lentils, set the timer for 16 minutes. For French green lentils, set the timer for 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, reduce the heat as necessary to prevent overflow and to maintain a lively simmer. Once your timer has gone off, use a fork to scoop out a few lentils and test for doneness (careful, they're hot). Your lentils are done when they are pleasantly tender throughout (not mushy or falling apart) and taste nicely earthy (undercooked lentils tend to taste somewhat metallic). If your lentils aren't fully cooked yet, retest every 1 to 2 minutes until they are.
• Once cooked, immediately strain off all the excess water. Pour the lentils back into your pot, off the heat. If you added a bay leaf, discard it now. If you added a garlic clove, use a fork to smash it against the side of the pot, then stir it into the lentils.
• Taste, and add a pinch or two of salt if necessary. If you're using these lentils as a component in another recipe, they're ready to go. If you're serving them on their own or as an element in a salad, you might want to stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil to prevent sticking and add some luxurious flavor. Enjoy.

HOW TO COOK LENTILS PERFECTLY

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or debris.
• Combine the lentils, bay leaves, 3 cups water and a generous pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Drain the lentils, discarding the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Use in any recipe that calls for lentils.

BASIC LENTILS

Steps:

• Melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for 8 mins. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a few mins more. Add the lentils, turmeric and tomatoes, stir to combine, then pour in 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender.
• Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan. When it's very hot, add the spices and fry for a min or so until fragrant, then stir them through. Add the lemon juice and season to taste. Will keep for four days in the fridge, or freeze it in batches and use to make our lentil kedgeree, lentil fritters, or spinach dhal with harissa yogurt.

BASIC FRENCH LENTILS

Steps:

• Pick over the lentils, removing any stones. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
• Put lentils in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Pour into strainer and rinse with cold water. Rinse saucepan as well and return lentils to pan.
• Push the clove into the onion and place onion in saucepan. Add carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes until almost tender. Skim off any solids that rise up while cooking. Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until fully tender. Add Cognac, if using.
• Drain the lentils (save the cooking liquid if you're planning to reheat them later). Discard the garlic, bay leaf and clove. Dice the vegetables and stir back into the lentils along with the shallot, if using.
• Serve hot or at room temperature. Store lentils and cooking liquid separately in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat lentils in cooking liquid in a covered saucepan over low heat.

15-MINUTE LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils and cook until soup thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

EASY RED LENTIL DAHL

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils carefully under running water.
• Place all of the dahl ingredients including the lentils in a large saucepan.
• Bring the pot to a boil on a medium-high heat, then turn it down to a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent anything sticking on the bottom. Taste and season as you go.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the dhal has thickened. Taste and season again before serving. Add more water if you want a thinner dhal.
• Meanwhile if you're adding the shallots as an optional topping, fry them in a frying pan with the butter, ghee or oil. Cook on a medium low heat stirring occasionally, until golden brown, around 10 minutes.
• Serve the dahl. Optionally top with the golden shallots, thin sliced jalapeno and fresh cilantro/coriander.

EASY LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Rinse and drain the dry lentils.
• In a saucepan combine the lentils, chicken broth, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, basil, garlic, and pepper.
• Simmer for 45-50 minutes untils lentils and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.