Potatoes baked with garlic in breadcrumbs. Crispy breaded potatoes

Just 100 years ago in Russia, lentils were not only found everywhere on the tables of both the rich and the poor, but were also exported to many countries of the world. However, not everyone knew how to boil lentils to make a delicious dish.

The oldest agricultural crop of the legume family has been known since the Neolithic, appeared in Russia in the 14th century and was the basis for many dishes. Now they forgot about the queen of legumes, but in vain!

The nutritional value of lentils is enormous, it contains more than sixty percent of vegetable protein and a wide range of minerals and trace elements. Not without reason, among the monks in Russia, it was the main source of nutrition during fasting; many dishes can be prepared from it: soups, pastries, side dishes.

From a medical point of view, the queen of beans is simply a storehouse of health. It strengthens the immune system and improves metabolism. Regular use will not only improve the body, but also cure many ailments.

It normalizes blood sugar levels, which means it is useful for diabetics.
It is rich in B vitamins, which act as an antioxidant and protect the body from the effects of toxins, alcohol and nicotine poisoning.
With gastritis and ulcers, pain subsides, heartburn disappears.
Prevention of oncology - prevents the formation of cancer cells.
Useful for nervous disorders, a kind of depressant.

The list is endless. Moreover, lentils also have cosmetic properties, are indispensable for diets, and are also very useful for women's health during pregnancy, when solving gynecological problems.

So colorful!

Several varieties of lentils are known.

Brown. The most common type, rich in iron, prevents anemia. Soups are mainly prepared from it. Has a nutty flavor, good in combination with meat.
Red, or Egyptian. Practically devoid of a shell, so it instantly boils soft. It is recommended to cook mashed potatoes, pastes, soups from it.
Puy, or green. Rich in fiber, the variety was bred in the French city of Puy. It has a delicate aroma and smell of pepper. It is not subject to boiling and is recommended for adding to salads.
Yellow. polished green lentils. It is used for puree-like dishes.
Black, or Beluga. It has a small size, looks like black caviar. It contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, which means it helps with colds. Often used for salads, useful in sprouted form. After cooking, it retains its shape, due to the unusual color it gives piquancy and originality to dishes.

Place the prepared cereal in boiling water and cook over low heat, not forgetting to stir. Salt or add tomatoes should be at the end 5-10 minutes before readiness, as a salty or acidified environment doubles the cooking time.

During the cooking process, it is advisable to add spices and a little oil, olive oil is best. This will make the beans tender and softer, as well as more fragrant.

How long will it take

Each variety has different time cooking. Of course, you can constantly try for softness and taste, but it is better to remember or write down how much to cook lentils until cooked, depending on the color.

Red and yellow are cooked very quickly, an average of 15 minutes. Brown and black will be ready in 25 minutes. And cooking green takes from 45 minutes to an hour.

You can cook not only on the stove, so it is important to know how much lentils are cooked depending on the cooking method:

multicooker - 50 min.;
microwave oven - 7-12 minutes;
steamer - 1 hour.

How much water do you need

For side dishes for one part of the cereal, you need to take two parts of water. Try to maintain a strict 1:2 ratio to avoid undercooked or overcooked lentils.

If you use a microwave oven or a double boiler, then it is enough that the water is 1-2 cm above the level of the grain.

It has long and firmly entered our lives, it allows you to quickly prepare dishes in automatic mode. However, not every housewife knows how to cook lentils.

Use the "Extinguishing", "Porridge" modes. If the dish consists of several ingredients, then the legumes should be laid last.

Lentils with mushrooms are prepared as follows.

Turn on the "Frying" mode, pour into a container sunflower oil, add finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, bring to a transparent state.
A dozen randomly chopped champignons or other mushrooms are fried together with onions for several minutes. Salt, seasonings and spices to taste.
Add one glass of prepared lentils to the mushrooms and pour two glasses of boiling water.
We switch to the "Extinguishing" mode, set the time to 50 minutes.
After the readiness signal, it is advisable to leave it on automatic heating for another 20 minutes.

Thus, you can cook lentils with meat, chicken, vegetables. Be sure to use spices, they brighter reveal the taste and aroma.

Features of cooking in the microwave

Many housewives do not know that in a microwave oven you can not only defrost food or heat food, but also cook.

Pour red or yellow lentils into a special dish, salt, add spices and pour over hot water so that it covers the beans by 1.5-2 cm. Place in the microwave, no need to close the lid. Set the maximum mode and cook for 7-10 minutes. Lentils are crumbly, the grains are whole and elastic.

Cooking in a steamer

When cooking in a double boiler, useful vitamins and minerals are preserved, dishes are guaranteed not to burn, and cereals are crumbly. The peculiarity of the preparation lies in the smaller amount of water than with the usual way cooking in a saucepan.

Put one and a half cups of any lentils in a container, pour in a glass of water, put butter, spices and salt to taste. Set the time to 1 hour. After cooking, taste it, you can add a few more minutes to achieve the necessary softness.

How to cook lentils so that it is healthy and tasty? There are many recipes, add imagination, do not be afraid to experiment, and you can please your loved ones with unusual dishes.

Porridge

It is equally good as an independent dish, and as a side dish for meat or fish.

Pour well-washed yellow or red grains into boiling water in a ratio of one to two.
Cook until done. For 5-7 minutes, do not forget to salt and add spices and seasonings.
Drain excess water and leave to simmer covered.
Fry onions and carrots in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Mix the roast with lentils, add butter to taste.

Before serving, sprinkle the porridge with finely chopped herbs.

Puree

Throw the lentils into boiling water in a ratio of 1:2. Cook for about 15 minutes with the addition of a tablespoon of vegetable oil, so the beans will be softer and more tender. At the end, add salt and spices. To make the puree smooth, beat or pass through a sieve.

Serve puree with fresh vegetables and herbs. A mint leaf in a plate will add a special taste.

Soup

How to cook brown lentils? What to cook? Try Lentil Soup, a hearty dish rich in protein and micronutrients. In the cold season, it saturates, warms, gives piquancy and a touch of exotic.

This is the classic soup recipe.

Boil one cup of lentils in two cups of water for 20 minutes.
Finely chop the carrots and onions and fry in vegetable oil.
Combine vegetables with lentils, add a pinch of turmeric, cumin, red and black pepper. Salt.
Simmer over low heat until the lentils are soft.
Use a blender to smooth and smooth.
Add six cups of strong beef or vegetable broth.
Season with butter, sprinkle with chopped herbs and ground paprika.

Exotic green and black lentils

Black lentils are also called Beluga. The grains are shiny, rich in color, very similar to black caviar, hence the nickname. This is a rather expensive product, as it is characterized by labor-intensive harvesting.

Sprouted black lentils are very useful, they are added to salads. When boiled, it has a whole shape and a pleasant delicate taste. Beluga looks exotic on sandwiches. In Europe, delicious soups and gourmet sauces are prepared from it, and in Asian countries they are mixed with rice or added to vegetable stews.

Green lentils were bred in France, in the small town of Puy, which is why they are sometimes called French or by the name of the city. It has a subtle, spicy swing and unusual flavors. Many gourmets consider this variety to be the most delicious variety in existence. Perfectly retains its shape during cooking and is recommended for preparing gourmet dishes. It is best to add it to salads.

The Puy variety is not always available, so its counterpart is slightly unripe lentils. It is brown-green in color and does not boil soft. It is easy to distinguish it from Puy, French lentils have a marble pattern on the grains.

Lentil grains should be uniform in shape and color. If there are small holes on its surface, it means that insects have liked it and are no longer suitable for food.
Do not mix beans purchased at different times, even if they are the same variety. Older lentils will take longer to cook.
For vegetable soup lentils are thrown first and cooked until half cooked, and then the rest of the products are added.
If you are making lentil soup with meat stock, cook the meat first and then add the beans.
To make the porridge crumbly, boil it, drain off excess water and leave to swell under the lid.
Bay leaves, sage, rosemary, cloves are perfectly combined with lentils, and from vegetables - onions, carrots, tomatoes, garlic.
Spices are best added early, the taste will be more pronounced.
Cooked lentils can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To avoid flatulence, add cloves.

Summing up

Now you know how useful and nutritious lentils are. Do not neglect it, and your diet will be replenished with delicious dishes.

Lentil is dietary product, has a low calorie content and is indispensable for a slim figure. From it you can cook not only soups and cereals, but also bread, salads, pastries, meatballs and even sweets.

This amazing plant is not able to accumulate toxins and does not lose its healing properties even after heat treatment. No wonder lentils are called the queen of beans.

Eat it with pleasure and be healthy!

One of the titled queens of dietary and healthy nutrition is lentil. This is the most ancient type of legume, people have been eating it with pleasure since the Bronze Age, i.e. 4000 BC

This product is rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Vegetarians equate it with meat due to its high vegetable protein content.

This type of grain has an amazing property: lentils do not absorb and do not accumulate harmful toxic substances found in the soil, so it can be safely called an environmentally friendly product.

This product is also an excellent source of iron. In order for this iron to be well absorbed, it must be served with a salad of greens and fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C. This cereal also contributes to the production of serotonin, the hormone of joy.

You can read a lot about amazing useful properties lentils, however, it should be remembered that this product is difficult to digest by the body. If cooked incorrectly, a healthy dish can cause bloating and disruption of the digestive tract.

How to avoid negative consequences? It is necessary to pre-soak the grains in water for several hours, just in ordinary cold water, without salt or soda.

Soaking time depends on how much time has passed since harvest. If you bought lentils from the store, soak them in water at least overnight. During the soaking process, the grains absorb water and almost double in size. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the grains and put them on a slow fire.

The water should cover the grits by two centimeters (about two fingers). During cooking, you can add a little seasoning, such as bay leaf, and olive oil.

How to cook delicious lentils for a side dish

Lentils are a very nutritious product, you are guaranteed a feeling of satiety and energy for a productive day. And yet, a nice bonus, this product helps to improve mood and fight depression due to the content of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin in the body.

So let's get ready!

Lentils - 300 gr.
Onion - 2 pcs.
Mustard - 10 gr.
Vegetable oil - 30 ml.
Vinegar red wine or apple - 20 ml.
Cloves - 1 stick
Bay leaf - 1 pc.
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green onion - 5 pcs.
Parsley - to taste
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Nuts - 50 gr.

Below you can see detailed video recipe:

1. Wash the pre-soaked lentils and cook in a saucepan along with 1 whole onion, bay leaf and cloves for 35 minutes.

2. After 35 minutes, turn off the fire under the pan, take out the onion, bay leaf and cloves, and leave the side dish to cool.

3. Finely chop the second onion, green onion feathers and parsley.

4. Prepare the sauce: mix the prepared mustard with vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and oil.

5. Mix lentils with chopped onions and herbs. Add chopped nuts and cooked sauce.

6. Mix and eat tasty dish.

Recipe for cooking in a slow cooker

A miracle of technology - a multicooker helps us cook tasty and healthy for ourselves and our families. In a slow cooker, dishes are prepared, as in a Russian oven, when all the ingredients were put into a pot at once, covered with a lid and sent to the oven to languish.

In this recipe in a slow cooker, we will cook lentils with mushrooms, the dish turns out to be very soft, tender and contains a lot of protein.

For cooking we need:

Red lentils - 280 gr.
Onion - 1 pc.
Champignons - 250 gr.
Hot water - 480 ml.
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon

1. Finely chop the onion.

2. Cut the champignons into beautiful plates.

3. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl. Choose a mode from the menu "frying" and "vegetables", and press "start".

4. We wait a little for the oil to heat up and put the mushrooms and onions in the multicooker bowl for frying for 7 minutes.

5. Turn off the "frying" mode and add the lentils washed several times to the bowl.

Secret: Rinse the lentils several times to remove all the foam.

6. Pour into the slow cooker hot water, add salt, mix.

Considering that when cooking in a slow cooker, water does not evaporate, add a little less water than it is written in the instructions on the package.

7. Turn on the “cereals” mode for 25 minutes and “start”. If you are using green lentils, you will need 40 minutes to cook them.

8. At the end of the cooking time, we take out tender, not boiled lentils with mushrooms and treat our loved ones.

This dish is especially useful during fasting or for athletes.

The convenience of cooking in a slow cooker is in the compactness of the process itself: the oil does not splatter, as in a pan, everything is cooked in one sealed container. Set it up and mind your own business.

Let the side dish brew a little and eat. Bon Appetit!

Delicious diet recipe for cooking lentils

There are several types of lentils: red, green and brown. The red one cooks the fastest, about 20 minutes, but it also boils more than the others, so it is better suited for making mashed potatoes or soup.

Green is unripe brown. Therefore, it is cooked longer than others and retains its shape better. You need to cook it for at least 1 hour, it is better to use it for salads or side dishes.

Brown is a fully ripened green, has a slight nutty flavor, and cooks fairly quickly for 25 minutes. It also breaks down.

Lentils - 1 cup
Lime or lemon juice - 1/2 pc.
Ginger - 1 cm.
Onion or leek - 1 pc.
Carrots - 2 pcs.
Tomatoes - 4 pcs.
Salt, pepper, sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic - 1 clove
Greens, basil, oregano

Unfortunately, legumes can cause discomfort in the digestive tract, soak lentils overnight to avoid them. cold water, as described above, then it will be better absorbed by your body and will not cause gas formation.

1. We wash the grains several times and cook on fire for 20-30 minutes, depending on its variety. Cereals soaked overnight cook faster.

2. Pour hot water over the tomatoes to remove the skin from them and grate them. You can use frozen or canned tomatoes, tomato juice or pasta.

3. Add chopped garlic, lime juice, salt, sugar, oregano, basil to grated tomatoes or pasta.

4. Grind onion and ginger and fry in oil in a pan, stirring constantly. After 2 minutes, add carrots to the pancut into thin strips.

5. Pour the mixture of tomatoes and spices into the pan, pepper and simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.

6. Add boiled lentils to the pan, add greens, simmer for another 5 minutes.

7. Serve the finished dish with herbs. Bon Appetit!

Delicious recipe with vegetables and smoked sausage

In this recipe, we will cook lentils with vegetables. This is an excellent balanced dish: nutritious, high in vegetable protein, rich in vitamins and microelements. In combination with vegetables, dishes from this legume are rich and light, similar to vegetable stew.

Beans and smoked meats are very tasty. In this recipe, we will add some smoked sausage to the pot with the garnish.

For cooking we need:

Lentils - 300 gr.
Green pepper - 1 pc.
Red pepper - 1 pc.
Onion - 1 pc.
Tomato - 1 pc.
Carrot - 1 pc.
Bay leaf - 1 pc.
Paprika, pepper, salt - to taste
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
Garlic - 2 cloves
Smoked sausage - 100 gr.

1. Grind onions, garlic, peppers, carrots with a knife.

2. Scald the tomato with hot water, remove the skin, chop finely.

3. Pour vegetable oil into a saucepan and, in turn, with an interval of 2 minutes, pour onion with carrots, pepper, tomato, paprika. At the end, add the washed soaked lentils.

4. Add hot water to the pan so that it covers the lentils by two fingers.

5. 5 minutes before readiness, add smoked sausage to the pan,it will add flavor and piquancy to the dish.

6. Before serving, sprinkle the finished dish with herbs.Bon Appetit!

Lentils with onions and carrots

Very simple and delicious recipe cooking garnish with carrots and onions. For an appetizing smell, add garlic.

For cooking we need:

Green lentils - 400 gr.
Onion - 1 pc.
Carrot - 1 pc.
Garlic - 1 clove
Olive oil

1. Finely chop the onion and carrot and simmer in a tall frying pan with olive oil.

2. Add the soaked lentils to the pan and add water two fingers above the grits.

3. Cook over low heat for about an hour. Salt at the end of cooking.

Below is a detailed video recipe.

This bean contains:

Folic acid contains 120% of daily allowance person.
Phosphorus to strengthen teeth and bones.
Lots of vegetable protein.
Low fat content.

Beneficial features:

Easily digestible.
Does not accumulate toxic substances from the earth.
Useful for diabetes, pregnant women.
Reduces cholesterol levels.
Is a source of protein.
Of the contraindications, the property of gas formation should be noted. Not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems.

How to cook lentils with meat

Lentil goes well with chicken meat, so we offer you a recipe with chicken fillet.

We will use green grains in this recipe. they do not boil in mashed potatoes like, for example, red ones.

In this dish, we combined vegetable and animal protein, so the food will be very satisfying and quick to prepare. And it will be delicious.

For cooking we need:

Green lentils - 1 cup
Onion - 1 pc.
Chicken fillet - 200 gr.
Garlic - 2 cloves
Seasoning for chicken
Vegetable oil

1. Pour the soaked grains with cold water and cook for about 45 minutes.

Attention: in order for the broth to be more rich, the ingredients must be dipped in cold water so that when they heat up, they have time to give their aromas and tastes to the broth.

2. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in oil in a preheated pan for a couple of minutes.

3. Finely chop the fillet, mix with seasonings and salt, add to the pan to the onion and garlic, fry until tender.

4. Pour the finished boiled lentil groats to the finished fried meat. Stir and fry for another 3 minutes.

Delicious side dish recipe with rice and mushrooms

Lenten tasty dish of lentils, rice and mushrooms. In order for all the ingredients in the dish to turn out beautiful and appetizing, we will fry them separately. If you want to simplify the cooking process, you can combine and fry all the vegetables together.

For cooking we need:

Green lentils - 70 gr.
Onion - 2 pcs.
Long grain rice - 200 gr.
Carrot - 1 pc.
Mushrooms - 400 gr.
Vegetable oil
Water - 350 ml.
Salt pepper
curry, turmeric

1. We wash the soaked green lentils well and cook until cooked for about 40 minutes.

2. Rice is washed several times and left for 20-40 minutes in water so that starch comes out of it.

3. Wash mushrooms and clean if necessary.

Attention: to wash the mushrooms beautifully, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flour, pour cold water, leave to stand for 5 minutes and then wash.

4. Chop one onion finely and fry in a pan until golden brown.

5. Beautifully cut the mushrooms into slices and also fry in oil until golden brown, salt at the end. If you salt the mushrooms at the beginning, they will release the juice and turn out not so beautiful.

6. Combine the onion and mushrooms and fry together for 1 minute.

7. Cut the second onion.

Attention: so that tears do not run from the eyes when cutting onions, do not prematurely cut off the tail of the onion.

8. Cut the carrot into thin strips and stew it together with the second onion in a frying pan in oil. Add curry and turmeric to lightly fried vegetables. These are the spices with which rice is always combined. Salt and pepper.

9. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan with the onions and carrots. Stir so that all the rice is saturated with oil, then it does not stick together.

10. Add boiled lentils to a pan with vegetables and rice, salt and add fried mushrooms with onion.

12. Pour the broth into the pan, counting that 1 cup of rice needs 2 cups of liquid.

13. Add chopped or whole garlic.

14. Put the pan on medium heat, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Rice is crumbly. Bon Appetit!

Lentils are a favorite product of those who prefer to use natural, healthy food in their diet. In terms of nutritional properties, this variety of legumes ranks first among similar crops. But, before serving, you need to know how to cook lentils for a side dish so that it retains its taste and benefits.

Lentils have a lot of useful and unique properties. It contains a large amount of protein, which permanently eliminates the feeling of hunger. Lentils are a great natural antidepressant. It is indicated to be eaten diabetes, problems of the cardiovascular system and indigestion. It is especially useful for women to include lentils in their diet, as they are an excellent prevention of breast cancer.

A very good vegetable as a side dish for meat or fish dishes, it goes well with pumpkin, cabbage, potatoes. For serving with poultry, lentils are best combined with rice in equal amounts.

How to cook lentils?

Cooking these legumes does not take as much time as it might seem at first. The most important thing is to pre-soak the grains in warm water for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1 st. lentils;
2 tbsp. water;
2 carrots;
1 onion;
vegetable oil;
salt pepper.

Cooking:

Thanks to a special sauce and seasonings, the grains are soft, fragrant, and the dish as a whole is very bright in taste and extremely satisfying.

Ingredients:

250 g lentils;
4 tbsp. l. olive oil (preferably cold pressed);
2 onions;
3 tomatoes;
50 g fresh parsley;
½ lemon;
salt pepper.

Cooking:

Soak the lentils in water - for 4 hours if it is cold. For convenience, time can be reduced by pouring beans with boiling water. In this case, keeping them in water is enough for 60 minutes. When the lentils are swollen, drain them in a colander to drain all the water.
Finely chop the onion. Peel the tomatoes from the skin, finely chop the flesh.
In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat half the oil and fry the onion first, then add the tomato pulp and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Put the lentil beans to the vegetables, pour in 1 tbsp. warm water, reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer, covering all the ingredients with a lid, for about half an hour.
Divide the lemon into 2 equal parts. Squeeze the juice from one half, sprinkle the prepared lentils with it and season with the remaining oil and finely chopped parsley.

Green lentils for dinner

A side dish of this variety of lentils can be served as an independent dish or a full vegetarian dinner, if you replace the butter with olive or vegetable oil.

Ingredients:

1.5 st. green lentils;
5 st. water;
1 onion;
1 carrot;
2 cloves of garlic;
thyme;
salt pepper;
butter.

Cooking:

Pour the lentil beans with water, salt it a little and cook over medium heat until soft.
Fry finely chopped garlic in oil, make the fire minimal, add more butter, melt it and simmer onion and carrots on it (do not remove the garlic).
Don't overcook the lentils. It should become soft, but not lose shape. Drain the liquid from the finished product, put it on the vegetables, add thyme.
Increase the heat to medium and sauté the vegetables, stirring vigorously.

Delicious red lentil appetizer

From this culture, you can cook a wonderful spicy-sweet side dish, which can be served at the table and separately as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

250 g red lentils;
2 peppers;
4 small chili peppers;
1 stalk leek (can be substituted with regular green onion);
2 tbsp. l. oils;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. l. curry;
salt pepper.

Cooking:

Red lentils can be cooked without pre-soaking. To do this, the grains are washed well, pour 0.5 liters of water, salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Then the flame is reduced to a minimum, the dishes are covered and boiled for 15-20 minutes. The beans should become soft.
Vegetables (onions, peppers, garlic) cut as small as possible. If you decide to replace the leeks with regular green onions, you do not need to fry them. Add it to the rest of the vegetables along with the lentils.
In hot oil, fry all the vegetables together, sprinkling them with curry. Fry over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then add beans.
Mix all the ingredients well, add the missing salt and pepper and simmer the ingredients under a closed lid for another 10 minutes over low heat.

If you do not know how to cook lentils, then it's time to learn. This is not difficult to do if you follow some rules.

Before cooking, the lentils should be thoroughly rinsed under cold water and remove debris from it. It does not need to be soaked like other legumes. Salt is recommended at the very end. If you do not want problems with digestion, then you need to put the lentils in a saucepan in already boiling water.

How much time to cook?

It always takes a different amount of time to cook a dish. In order to decide how much to cook lentils without soaking, you need to determine with the variety. So, for example, the red version will have to spend only 10 minutes, the green variety - 30, and the brown one will be ready only after 40 minutes. Sometimes this variety is recommended to be soaked, but this is only worth doing if you want to reduce the cooking time.

The ratio of lentils and water when cooking

The ideal proportion for cooking is 1:2, as for most cereals. That is, for one glass of dry lentils, you need two glasses of water, and so on: for two glasses of lentils - already four servings of water. It is advisable to strictly observe this, otherwise the result will not be what you expect: the grains will be hard or, on the contrary, too boiled.

Ingredients:

Lentils - one glass;
Bulb and carrot;
Salt to taste;
A little vegetable oil;
Two glasses of water.

Cooking process:

Start by washing the lentils. Do it carefully.
Next, put the water on the fire and bring to a boil. Now you need to salt the future dish and add lentils to the dishes.
Bring to readiness. While cooking, prepare the onions and carrots - fry the chopped vegetables with a little vegetable oil.
Drain the water from the prepared lentils and put it to the vegetables, mix everything. Now you know how to cook lentils for a side dish.

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker

Cooking in a slow cooker is always faster and easier, especially when it comes to lentils. As a result, the grains are soft and tasty.

Required products:

A glass of lentils, preferably green;
Water in proportion - 2 cups;
One carrot and onion;
Salt and other seasonings of your choice.

How to cook:

Prepare vegetables using a slow cooker. Grind them and fry in the "roasting" mode.
Next, pour the washed lentils to the vegetables and pour hot water. Add your chosen spices.
Turn on the "stewing" mode and cook the dish for about 30 minutes. Salt the culture only five minutes before the end of cooking.

For a brighter taste, you can add adjika.

Features of cooking red, black, green and yellow lentils

If you want to delicious porridge from lentils, it is best to buy green or brown lentils for this. Then it will not boil soft and will turn out in the form of grains. For soup and stews, the red or orange variety is perfect.

When preparing a dish of red lentils, some advise adding salt and spices at the beginning, and not at the end, as is customary with other varieties. The best seasonings are red pepper, curry, cumin.

Black lentils are ideal for salads with the addition of pepper, oil and hot spices.

Do not mix different varieties with each other, as they have different cooking times and results.

How to cook porridge from lentils?

Lentil porridge is a good, hearty dish for both breakfast and lunch. With all the products available, it is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

Lentil groats of a suitable variety;
Water in proportion;
Carrots and onions - one each;
Salt and other seasonings;
garlic clove;
A little olive oil.

Cooking process:

You need to start cooking porridge, of course, with the preparation of cereals. To do this, it must be thoroughly washed under cold water, and it is better to do this several times. To keep it clean and free of debris.
Next, prepare a saucepan, place the lentils in it and fill it with water. The amount of water is determined based on how much cereal you took. For one glass of dry product - two glasses of liquid.
Wait until it boils and reduce the heat a little.
While the cereal is boiling, you need to prepare the vegetables. This is done simply: chop them and fry a little in a pan, adding literally one teaspoon of olive oil.
Pour the cooked vegetables to the porridge, reduce the heat to almost a minimum level.
Now you can salt and mix.
It takes an average of 30 minutes to cook the dish, but the exact time depends on the variety you have taken. The grains should be boiled.
When everything is almost ready, squeeze the garlic into it and pepper it.

puree recipe

Lentil puree - great option hearty lunch with an interesting taste. For cooking, the red variety is best, you can take green, but then the cooking time will be a little longer.

For the dish you will need:

Red lentils - about 70 grams;
Onions and carrots - 1 each;
Greens to taste;
Water - about 200 ml;
Butter - 15 grams.

Cooking process:

You need to start cooking mashed potatoes by preparing vegetables - chop them.
Carefully approach the choice of dishes for this dish. Best suited, something with a thick bottom.
Put the selected container on the stove and put oil in it. Wait until it melts, and then add vegetables there. Fry them lightly over low heat.
Add washed and peeled lentils to the rest of the ingredients, mix everything.
Now pour in water, wait until everything boils and salt. All that is left is to wait until the dish is ready. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
Using a blender and a masher, puree the porridge, transfer it back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. After that, the dish can be served at the table.

soup recipe

Lentil soup is a savory dish with such an unusual taste for us, because this culture is rarely on our table.

Required products:

Red lentils - one glass;
Salt, herbs, pepper - to your taste;
One onion and carrot;
Several potatoes;
Vegetable oil - three tablespoons;
Water or ready-made broth - about 2.5 liters.

How to cook:

Regardless of whether you are cooking with broth or water, it will have to be brought to a boil. The pot must be at least three liters.
While the pot is boiling, prepare the lentils - rinse them so that the water is clear and there is no debris.
Set aside the culture and move on to the vegetables. They need to be finely chopped, and the potatoes cut into small pieces.
Add the oil to the hot skillet, and then the prepared vegetables, except for the potatoes. Bring them to a golden color. This usually takes no more than three minutes.
When the water boils, put potatoes, cereals and fried vegetables in a saucepan. Bring it all back to a boil. Please note that you need to remove the foam, and the fire must be very small, otherwise the cereal will not have time to cook, and the water will run out.
You need to cook until the lentils and potatoes are ready. Average time is 20 minutes.
When the dish is almost ready, you can add spices and salt. Also, do not forget to chop the greens for a bright taste and aroma. You can add olives and squeeze some lemon juice.

Lentils are soft beans that are sold dried. It can be consumed in the form of cereals, soups, side dishes, stews, meatballs. But to achieve the unforgettable taste of these beans, you need to know how to cook lentils. Modern recipes will allow you to achieve a delicious culinary masterpiece using a slow cooker or in the traditional way on the stove.

How long to cook lentils until tender

Before cooking lentils, it must be sorted out, separating garbage, pieces of earth, and husks. For convenience, lay the beans on a white paper towel or plate. Place the prepared lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water for a minute. Having decided to cook porridge from these beans for the first time, many housewives have a question: is it necessary to soak lentils before cooking? In order for the grains to retain their shape and not become very soft during cooking, they do not need to be soaked first.

Depending on the dish you are going to cook, the cooking time for lentils can be from 10 to 45 minutes. If you purchased split beans, then after 10-20 minutes you will have a mushy mass. Such lentils boil quickly, so they are ideal for mashed soups. You can increase the boil for whole beans to 45 minutes by leaving the lentils to simmer, covered, until completely softened.

Features of cooking red, black, green and yellow lentils

There are about 11 varieties of lentils that differ in their color, grain shape, taste, and even cooking method. The popularity of this product is growing every year, so it is important to know how lentils are useful and how to cook them. The usefulness lies in, iron, B vitamins, folic acid, potassium, carbohydrates, as a result of this, lentils have become an integral part of the diet of all people. Regular consumption of dishes from these beans is beneficial for:

diseases gastrointestinal tract;
normalization of the urinary system.

First you need to decide for which dish you are buying these beans and what you are going to cook. If you plan to cook porridge, then you need to purchase French green or brown, black lentils. Beans of this color tend to retain the shape of the grains without turning into a puree mass. For soups and stews, use red, yellow, orange lentils, as in the process of cooking it quickly and strongly softens, turning into porridge.

How to cook lentils in a slow cooker

In order not to take a lot of personal time, we recommend using a slow cooker. This unique multifunctional device will allow you to get the finished dish without additional difficulties. You need to prepare the right ingredients and place them in the multicooker bowl. For cooking you will need the following ingredients:

washed green lentils - 1 multi-cup;
water - 1 multi-glass;
grain mustard - 1 tbsp. l.;
Bell pepper- 1 PC.;
freshly ground chili pepper - 1 tbsp. l.;
finely chopped one celery root;
canned corn - 200 g;
tomato sauce- 4 tbsp. l.

The cooking process includes several stages:

Carefully place the indicated ingredients in the multicooker bowl and mix with a plastic spatula.
Modern multicookers are equipped with many functions, among which is the "Multipovar" mode. Select this function, close the top cover of the device and you have one hour of free time while the technician prepares a gorgeous lentil dish for you.

What dishes are prepared from lentils

There are a large number of options for preparing lentil dishes. These beans can be used on their own as hearty cereals or in complex culinary creations. To diversify breakfasts or surprise the family for dinner, prepare dishes based on lentils. You can, cutlets, a side dish for meat, and there are also recipes that detail how to combine lentils with other types of cereals, vegetables.

Suggestion: To enhance the flavor of a cooked lentil dish, add a couple of bay leaves or a pinch of dried sage. You can also use celery root or leaves, parsley or rosemary. Lentil dishes are recommended to be salted and peppered at the very end of cooking.

How to make puree soup

Puree soup is a thick soup that needs to be cooked with a large amount of vegetables or cereals. To get the most healthy, tasty and satisfying dish, we recommend preparing lentil puree soup. The correct preparation depends on the accuracy of observing all the proportions of the necessary ingredients. For this soup you will need:

red lentil beans - 200 gr;
chicken bouillon- 2 glasses;
finely chopped red onion (medium) - 1 pc.;
a spoonful of tomato paste;
grated carrots - 1 pc.;
a pinch of cumin and pepper;
salt - 0.5 tsp;
clove of garlic;
a slice of lemon and mint leaves;
submersible blender;
pot.

Puree soup is prepared according to the following technology:

Combine the lentils, broth, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables and beans are completely tender. This will take approximately 25 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly soften the soup ingredients with an immersion blender. You should get a puree-like mass. When blending, be careful not to splatter hot soup, use low speed.
Then you need to add salt and squeeze a slice of lemon. You can garnish with mint leaves on top if you like.

Lentils with chicken meat

For a family dinner for two you will need:

300 grams of chicken breast;
a glass of brown lentils;
three glasses of water;
a tablespoon of tomato paste;
salt, pepper, cumin, curry;
big bulb.

We'll tell you step by step, with chicken meat.

Prepare chicken breast, having previously dressed the sirloin meat from the bones and skin.
Cut the meat into large pieces and fry with chopped onion and tomato paste. The chicken breast takes about 10 minutes to cook.
Then boil the lentils for 15 minutes.
Combine all ingredients in a heat-resistant bowl and place in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
For the dish to get beautiful colour and rich flavor, add a teaspoon of curry.

How to cook delicious lentils with vegetables

Lentils go well with all vegetables. You can cook it with potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, onions. But in order to do this, you need to prepare the following components for this:

two large potatoes;
ginger root;
clove of garlic;
one carrot;
curry - 1 tbsp;
one glass of red lentils;
three glasses of water;
broth - 1 glass;
vegetable oil;
deep frying pan.

First you need to boil the lentils for 10-15 minutes until half cooked.
Then put chopped garlic, ginger and curry into a preheated pan.
After a couple of minutes, add the carrots and potatoes, which were previously diced. It takes about 5 minutes to cook.
Then put the lentils in the pan and fill everything with broth.
After five minutes, you can serve to the table, garnishing with a slice of lime on top.

How to make lentil porridge

Lentil cereals are distinguished by the presence of a large amount of vitamins. To properly cook such porridge, you need to strictly adhere to the proportions. You need to cook in a ratio of 1: 3, that is, pour three glasses of cold water into a saucepan per glass of beans. Also, don't use split beans for cereals, because they quickly turn into a puree. Fill the lentils with water, cook for an average of 15 minutes. Cooking time may increase if you use black or brown lentils for porridge, which must be cooked for at least 25 minutes.

Dishes from lentils for weight loss

The peculiarity of these beans is that they do not contain fat in their composition. The calorie content of cooked lentils reaches only 111 kcal. Therefore, you can use the lentil diet to normalize weight. Daily consumption of cereals will help rapid decline weight. The recipe is simple, so you can easily and quickly prepare it for breakfast. You will need:

red lentils - 100 g;
water - 3 glasses;
chopped half of the onion;
carrots, grated - 1 pc.;
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.;

Pour thoroughly washed beans with cold water and cook for 15 minutes. From vegetables, make dressing for porridge in a pan, frying carrots and onions until golden brown. Combine all prepared ingredients and mix. For dietary porridge, do not use seasonings and salt. With this breakfast, you will be full all day and the diet will not cause difficulties in following it.

Lentil cutlets: the best recipe with a photo

Traditional meat cutlets can be replaced with lentils. The recipe is simple, so to repeat it you will need to cook everything for no more than 30 minutes. First you need to decide on the ingredients and kitchen appliances that you need to prepare in advance. To make everything go quickly and accurately, stick to the following list:

red or green lentils - half a cup.
coarse salt - a pinch.
two large eggs.
one cup of breadcrumbs.
parsley - 2 sprigs.
olive oil - 2 tbsp.
red onion - 1 head.
one large carrot.
cumin - ½ tsp
coriander - ½ tsp
garlic - 3 cloves.
large frying pan.
spatula for turning cutlets.
a bowl.
blender.

Cooking lentil cutlets consists of the following steps:

Pour 3 cups of water over the lentil beans and bring to a boil. The whole cooking process will take about 20 minutes. Then drain the water and let cool completely in a separate bowl.

Place the remaining beans 1/2 teaspoon salt, diced red onion, eggs, bread crumbs, coriander, cumin, coarsely grated carrots, and parsley in a blender. Mix everything until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Then heat a large frying pan, after pouring oil into it. Form lentil cutlets into small round shapes by rolling lightly in breadcrumbs. Place carefully in the pan and fry on one side until crispy and brown. Approximately 4 minutes to cook. Then you need to turn the cutlets on reverse side and repeat the frying process.

Remove the cooked lentil cutlets from the pan into a separate container. When they have cooled, put them on big dish pre-garnished with lettuce. Top cutlets can pour sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with chopped red onion and parsley.

Video recipe: The most delicious lentil side dish

Lentil beans are ideal for cooking various dishes, as well as side dishes for meat, fish. To do this, you will need twenty minutes of free time and ingredients that are easy to find in your kitchen. If you don’t know, we recommend watching a video where the chef tells in detail the amazing recipe for making a side dish. Also provided exact proportions necessary ingredients for this dish so that you can repeat it at home.