Lentils? Help!

Love lentils but unfortunately they don’t like me I have frequent trips to the loo.

grandetanteJL65 what is a dl?

Thanks to all for these lovely recipes. Will definitely be trying them, and also trying ither types of lentils.

Many thanks.

www.fix.com tells you all you need to know about lentils.

??GabriellaG Lentils are a good source of protein.

Lentils AND potatoes? There's absolutely no protein in a meal like that.

grandetanteJL65

dl?

Red and brown lentils are the most commonly used ones and are delicious as well as being good for you
I sometimes use them to thicken/ bulk out stews but there are other colours too. although I'm not too sure what they are.

Boil about 1 dl of red lentils per person you are cooking for with a finely chopped onion, salt, pepper and two bay leaves.
They will come to the boil quickly if you just cover them with water. Turn heat well down once the water boils and keep an eye on the pot, as they will quickly become soft. And they boil over very fast!

Once they are cooked, fish out the bay leaves and strain off any remaining water. Mix the lentils and onions with 1 or 2 heaped tablespoons of plain flour, an egg and 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of cumin powder (the amount depends on how much you like cumin). The consistency should be a soft mixture, much like a very soft forcemeat mixture.

Heat oil in a frying pan and form the mixture into patties with a spoon. Fry very gently, as they will burn easily if the heat is too strong. Don't try turning them for the first five minutes or so, as they break easily before a firm crust has formed.

Alternately, you can grease an ovenproof dish thoroughly and bake the mixture for half an hour at 180 degrees C.

Serve either version with boiled potatoes, green beans, or boiled rice .

Lentil patties or loaf can be frozen and are very suitable for packed lunches, picnics etc. as they don't go off even if not refrigerated for two or three hours. They are very useful too if you are having vegetarian visitors.

Look for recipes for dhal, Indian food which is a dish of spiced red lentils. Very nice with roast lamb as well as curries, and you can spice it up as much or as little as you like. Delicious hot or cold.
Thanks all for the recipes on here.

I'm trying to lose weight and am veggie. I find lentils and pulses so satisfying and tasty, and very versatile. They are "good" carbs with protein and very good for you. I think they are maybe a bit like marmite! Love or hate them.

Worth a try though.

Lentils are little pellets of mud and best avoided.

ecci53
Red lentils are high in protein
Make a vegetable soup adding red lentils will give you the best of both and a meal in itself. Dipping garlic bread at the same time.

It does sound like you had puy lentils which are lovely and used regularly by top chefs.
Red lentils are great too, nutricious and healthy. As others have said great for soups and stews...enjoy!

One of our family favourite dishes is pasta and lentil bake. Make the lentil sauce using red lentils cooked with onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes and some herbs - oregano and basil are good. Cook the pasta separately and also make a cheese sauce. Then in a casserole dish layer pasta, some cheese sauce, lentil sauce, rest of pasta, rest of cheese sauce and a little grated cheese on top. Bake for 20 mins then enjoy! Red lentils can also be used to make excellent patties and eaten with salad or baked beans or whatever you like. They are extremely versatile! Have fun experimenting.

Very simple and delicious soup. Chop 3 spring onions, gently fry in olive oil with teaspoon cumin seeds. Add 4 grated carrots, fry for couple of minutes, add handful of red lentils, cover with vegetable stock, simmer for 20 minutes, Blend. Enjoy.

If you don't want to cook the lentils, try tinned lentils, cheap and easy.

If you like a tasty not too spicy dish, to use on it's own, or as an accompaniment, here is a good recipe.
LENTIL CURRY
8 ozs dried red lentils
1 pint water
4 ozs butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 oz piece root ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 x 14 oz tin tomatoes, chopped with juice
3 oz tomato puree
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 pint fresh water
coriander sprigs to garnish

Place lentils and 1 pint water in a pan and cook, uncovered, over a gentle heat, for about 20-25 minutes, or until tender
Heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat, add the onions and fry until golden. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a few seconds.
Add the spices and fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree and fry for a further 2 minutes
Add the sugar, 1/4, pint water and salt to taste and stir well. Partly cover, and cook the sauce over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce becomes thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir the sauce into the lentils and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander if liked.

This freezes well in portions

I have always loved this Delia recipe

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/one-pot-recipes/spiced-chicken-with-lentils

Red lentils cook easily where as black or grey one takes longer to cook. You can soak them overnight or few hours. In a pressure cooker from first whistle to about 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon of oil, then fried some onions....you can add a teaspoon of paste ginger and garlic, salt , 2 to 5 cups of water(depend if you want it as a soup or thicker). Can be served with rice, bread or drink it as a soup. You can add carrot if you like. Add some chives or spring onions at the end. Red lentils can be cooked in an ordinary sauce pan similarly as it won't take too long. Happy eating, happy EASTER. You can also get tin lentils which you just warm up.

If you are looking for texture and a’bite’ then brown, green or puy lentils are great (sounds like those are the ones you had). Red lentils break down to a ‘slurry’ and are a great thicker for soups etc. I use red lentils a lot for soups and dhal. My daughter replaces half her mince with tinned brown or green lentils. Much healthier and cheaper.

I prefer red lentils to others as they are softer. I used to make really nice lentil cutlets that were very easy. They can be very dry so are improved by a bit of chutney on the side.

I make a lentil stew with dried red lentils. 1 large carrot grated (or thin sliced), 1 medium onion chopped finely, 150-200 gram dry red lentils, 2pt water and one or two stock cubes or liquid stock to taste. Microwave at 900w for 30 minutes. Serve with a slice of bread, since wheat and pulses combine to complement each other's proteins

I only use red lentils, usually in soups. No need to soak, they cook quickly and are good for you.
Potatoes, parsnips, carrots tomatoes anything else you like, or have leftover, and lentils. Spice up with garlic or curry powder or brown or Worcester sauce. Even pop in a peeled apple. Cook together, stir regularly. It’s delicious. Can be frozen and reheated. I usually do a big pot.

Lentils are great for the digestion. They're full of roughage, or fibre or something. Works for me, anyway and there are some good ideas here. I'll certainly take note Thanks, everyone.

to the 'slurry'! add some turmeric and a dash of chilli. then fry onion some cloves of garlic and fresh ginger in butter and add. The most delicous dhall ever. Have been cooking it since the seventies. It is so easy, so healthy so good for you and just add lentils from the bag to soups to give them body and nutrition.