How to cook lentils right? Do lentils need to be soaked before cooking? You know, these are the fastest grains in terms of cooking time from the entire legume family. And they do not require soaking before cooking them. Lentils are a healthy food. It is well compatible with a variety of foods or seasonings, has a high nutritional value, and is available throughout the year. Lentils are nutritious, rich in antioxidants, selenium, and vitamins that strengthen the immune system. So, below are the cooking tips.
How to cook lentils for garnish, step by step
- Rinse grains under running water, sort them out - if necessary, remove crushed, shriveled grains or small garbage cans.
- 1 glass of dry lentils requires 2 - 2.5 glasses of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, put the washed grains in a pan. Do not add salt yet! Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to a minimum, cover the pan with a lid, but leave it slightly ajar so that the water does not boil off very quickly.
- Check the pan from time to time to make sure that the water has not dropped below lentil. Add water as needed.
- When it softens and can easily be mashed with a fork, it is ready. How much to cook lentils without soaking? It usually takes about 30-45 minutes.
- Lentils that have been stored with you for a long time do not lose their nutritional properties, it just cooks longer.
- Do not mix fresh lentil grains with old ones. They will cook unevenly.
- Grains of red varieties are cooked faster - about 20 minutes, no more.
- Salt must be 15 minutes before the end of cooking. If you put salt in a pan at the beginning of cooking, the cooking time will double.
When the lentils are cooked until cooked, turn off the heat. Cover the pan tightly with a lid. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes. During this time, it absorbs excess water, becomes juicier, more tender. Actually, this is not necessary, but I do it - I like it more.
What do lentils eat, what is it compatible with, what spices
- Add diced potatoes - they will be cooked in time as much as lentils. You may have to add water in this case, but you can do this in the cooking process.
- Add spices with salt. Curry powder, ground cumin, garlic, ground red pepper, cilantro - all go well with lentils. Spices can be added at any time, but the sooner, the more seasoned taste and aroma will get your dish.
- Lentils are usually used for cooking soups, stews. Green or brown varieties hold their shape pretty well. If they are not digested, then they can be added, for example, to salads. For these purposes, it is enough to cook it for 10-15 minutes.
- Cooked lentils can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
So lentils do no harm
Lentils, like any legumes, in many people cause ... flatulence. Add 1-2 cloves to the water - this problem will not affect you. In addition, cloves add a delicate aroma to your lentils, which perfectly fits the taste of the finished dish.
Useful properties of lentils
Like other legumes, lentils contain anticarcinogenic substances of plant origin, rich in protein, iron, folic acid, fiber, which is very useful for the digestive system and heart. The high protein content makes it an excellent substitute for meat.
Lentils come in many varieties, the main difference is in the color of the grains. Red is by far the fastest to cook, it is often used in Indian cuisine. However, green, brown varieties are more nutritious than red varieties.