Lentils are a source of protein and are nutritionally equivalent to meat. It is rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In addition, lentils contain virtually no fat. This organic product is tasty and healthy and, unlike other legumes, is prepared relatively quickly.
Lentil Cooking Secrets
There are many varieties of lentils, but of the variety, French green lentils, brown lentils, and Egyptian red lentils are the most popular. The cooking time of lentils depends on the variety. The green one takes the longest to cook, it keeps its shape well and does not boil over, brown cooks much faster and, if overexposed on the fire, can turn into porridge, red is ideal for making mashed potatoes.
Before cooking, lentils do not need to be soaked, but they must be thoroughly rinsed under running cold water and put into boiling water. Usually take 1 part legumes 2 parts water. Lentils are cooked over low heat for 15 to 45 minutes (time depends on the type of lentil). Stir it periodically. Since salt slows down the cooking process, it should be added shortly before the lentils are fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. The same goes for tomatoes.
In addition to salt, you can put various spices and herbs in lentils: bay leaf, rosemary, sage, cloves, celery, garlic. This will add additional flavors to the dish. To make the beans softer and more tender, pour half a tablespoon of olive oil into the water during cooking.
Lentil stew recipe
A well-deserved popularity is the lentil stew, for the preparation of which you will need:
- 1 cup brown lentils;
- 1 head of onion;
- 1 carrot;
- ½ celery root;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- dry basil;
- marjoram;
- parsley;
- vegetable oil;
- salt.
Rinse the lentils well. Pour cold water into a saucepan and boil, then put lentils and cook them over low heat. Peel the onions and cut into small cubes, peel and grate the carrots and celery root, and the bell pepper into strips. Then fry the vegetables in vegetable oil. Thirty minutes after the start of cooking, add the fried vegetables to the lentils and season with salt. If necessary, dilute the stew with boiling water until the consistency of a soup and cook the lentils until fully cooked, another 10 minutes. At the very end, add chopped garlic cloves, basil and marjoram, as well as peeled and diced tomatoes. Cook everything together for 5 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle lentil chowder with parsley, separately prepare and serve rye bread croutons.
