Lentils - one of the favorite foods of vegetarians and supporters of healthy eating. Consisting of a third of protein, it can become a source of amino acids, an alternative to meat. Delicate taste with subtle nutty notes makes it original, even if the product is cooked without any additions or with a minimum amount of seasoning and vegetables. Lentil porridge may well serve as an independent dish, but still most of the dishes from these beans are served as a side dish. Having learned how to cook lentils as a side dish, you will significantly enrich the family menu, make your diet more useful.
Cooking Features
Although cooking lentils is not a difficult process, it still has a lot of subtleties, which will not prevent the novice chef from getting to know. Only with all the technological nuances, you can cook a tasty and healthy side dish of the named type of beans.
- First of all, you need to know which lentils to choose as a side dish. In total there are 6 types of these beans. Black French lentils and beluga are the hardest varieties, they are used primarily for salads. The most tender lentil is red, it is well boiled soft and serves for cooking soups, as well as side dishes in the form of porridge or mashed potatoes. Similarly, used yellow lentils, which are cooked a little longer red. Green lentils are considered the most suitable for cooking side dishes. It can be made as a crumbly side dish, and mashed potatoes - it all depends on how much to cook it. Also, brown lentils are suitable for crumbly side dishes; they are cooked longer than green lentils and do not boil well. From it you can make even garnish for salads.
- Any lentil must be well washed before use. Concerning the necessity of soaking lentils, there was no consensus. To speed up the cooking process there is a need for soaking only black lentils. Sometimes it is advisable to soak and brown - this will reduce the time of its boiling from 40 minutes to 30 minutes. Other types of lentils boil well and without soaking. However, experts still advise soaking all the beans, including lentils, to rid them of harmful substances that block the formation of enzymes responsible for good digestion. To neutralize inhibitors (as these substances are called), it is enough to hold the lentils in water for 3 to 7 hours.
- How much liquid to take for cooking lentils also depends on its grade. If you cook a side dish of brown or green, then a glass of dry beans you need to take 2 cups of water. For red and yellow the ratio is 1: 1, 5.
- Cooking time lentils for a garnish depends on its variety, and on the expected result. Brown is boiled for 40 minutes without soaking, 30 minutes - after pre-soaking. Green cooked 25-30 minutes, depending on whether it was soaked, but for soft lentil porridge cooking time, it is advisable to increase by 10 minutes. Red lentils will be ready in 10-15 minutes, yellow - in 20-25 minutes. If you want the beans to make it stronger, add another 5 minutes. In a slow cooker, cooking lentils will be 10 minutes longer.
When preparing lentils for garnish, fried vegetables, various seasonings, and nuts are often added to it. A side dish of lentils can be crumbly or in the form of porridge, mashed potatoes. Sometimes as a side dish served lentil salad. Meals from this type of beans serve as a good addition to meat, they are also suitable for poultry meat, even fish.
Lentil puree garnish
Calorie dishes: 927 kcal, per 100 g: 157 kcal.
Composition:
- red lentils - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 0, 35 l;
- salt, spices - to taste;
- butter or refined vegetable oil - 40 g.
Preparation Method:
- Rinse the lentils. If desired, soak it for 3 hours (this is only needed to avoid digestive problems), rinse again.
- Boil water, add spices to it, pour in lentils. Wait for the water to boil again, add salt to it.
- Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes - until there is no water left in the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat, let the lentils stand under the lid for another 5-10 minutes so that it softens stronger.
- Add butter and turn into mashed potatoes using a blender.
After cooling, lentil puree becomes denser. If you want it to remain tender, while whipping it, add a little cream, as in the preparation of mashed potatoes.
Lentil porridge for garnish
Calorie dishes: 574 kcal, per 100 g: 95 kcal.
Composition:
- yellow lentil - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 0, 4 l;
- salt - to taste;
- bay leaf - 1 pc .;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- fresh greens (optional) - to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Prepare the lentils by washing and, if desired, steeping for a few hours.
- Put the lentils in a pot with thick walls and bottom, cover with water. In this case, the water will need a little more than the norm, as the task is stronger to boil down the beans.
- Put the pan on the fire. When the water in it boils, remove the foam, then add salt, garlic and bay leaf.
- Boil lentils for 30 minutes on low heat under the lid.
- Remove the garlic and bay leaf.
- Mash some lentils with tolkushka.
When serving, sprinkle the lentil porridge with finely chopped fresh herbs. This fragrant side dish will be a great addition to chicken, beef, pork.
Brown Lentil Garnish
Calorie dishes: 991 kcal, per 100 g: 117 kcal.
Composition:
- brown lentils - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 0, 45 l (not counting the consumption for soaking);
- carrots - 80 g;
- onions - 80 g;
- refined vegetable oil - 40 ml;
- salt, black pepper powder - to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Wash lentils. Fill it with water so that it covers the beans completely and is even a couple of centimeters higher. Leave for 3-4 hours.
- Rinse the lentils again.
- Boil water, dip the lentils in it. Boil 20 minutes after boiling. Add salt and pepper, continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until the liquid in the pan will remain.
- While the lentils are being cooked, prepare the vegetable dressing. To do this, scrape, wash carrots. Drain it with a towel and chop it on a coarse grater. Free the onions from the husk and chop finely. Fry vegetables until cooked in vegetable oil.
- Add the vegetable dressing to the almost cooked lentils, mix. Leave it on low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and hold for another 10 minutes under the lid.
This lentil garnish is versatile, it fits both meat and fish dishes.
A simple garnish of green lentil in a slow cooker
Calorie dishes: 1005 kcal, per 100 g: 105 kcal. Composition:
- green lentils - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 0, 5 l;
- onions - 70 g;
- carrots - 70 g;
- sweet pepper - 80 g;
- refined vegetable oil - 40 ml;
- salt, spices - to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Wash and peel the vegetables. Grind carrots on a grater with large holes. Pepper cut into thin quarters of rings. Thin half rings cut onions.
- Rinse lentils thoroughly.
- Boil water in advance - it will be better to pour the beans with hot water.
- Pour oil into the multicooker bowl. Put chopped vegetables in it. Turn the unit on for 10 minutes in frying or baking mode.
- Add the prepared beans, salt and season to taste.
- Fill the product with hot water. Activate a program suitable for cooking cereal dishes. It may be called “Buckwheat”, “Rice”, “Porridge” or otherwise. If the slow cooker does not automatically detect the right cooking time, set the timer to 40 minutes.
After completion of the main program, the products must be mixed, after which the lentils can already be laid out on plates and served to the table as a side dish or as an independent dish.
Brown lentil garnish with nuts
Calorie dishes: 1568 kcal, per 100 g: 94 kcal.
Composition:
- brown lentils - 0, 3 kg;
- water - 1 l;
- carrots - 80-100 g;
- onions - 70-100 g;
- green onions - 50 g;
- walnuts - 50 g;
- fresh parsley - 20 g;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- apple cider vinegar (6%) - 20 ml;
- refined vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- table mustard - 10 ml;
- salt, spices - to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Soak the pre-washed lentils for a few hours in water.
- Put the peeled onions and carrots in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil. Add spices and salt, cook for half an hour.
- Strain the broth.
- Rinse the lentils again, put them in a saucepan, cover with three glasses of hot broth and cook for half an hour after boiling the broth.
- While the lentils are being cooked, prepare the sauce by combining the chopped nuts, garlic, vegetable oil, vinegar, and mustard passed through the press. Spread them for a uniform sauce.
- Finely chop the green onions and parsley.
- When the lentils are ready, remove it from the heat, add the sauce and greens to it, mix. Let the bean stand under the lid for 10 minutes so that they can soak up the scent of dressing, and serve it to the table.
This side dish can also be made from green lentils, reducing the cooking time by 5 minutes.
Green lentil garnish with tomatoes
Calorie dishes: 1129 kcal, per 100 g: 90 kcal.
Composition:
- green lentils - 0, 2 kg;
- water or broth - 0, 5 l;
- carrots - 100 g;
- onions - 100 g;
- fresh tomatoes - 0, 25 kg;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- thyme - 2 twigs;
- refined vegetable oil - 40 ml;
- turmeric, spicy ground pepper, salt to taste.
Preparation Method:
- Peel the onion, cut it into thin half rings.
- Peel the carrots. Cut it into small strips or cubes.
- Tomatoes boil, peel. Cut tomato pulp into small cubes.
- Cut the garlic into plates.
- Rinse lentils.
- Boil water or broth.
- At the bottom of the cauldron pour oil, put garlic and thyme in it. Cook them for a few minutes.
- Remove thyme and garlic, put onions and carrots in their place. Cook them for 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and spices. Stew vegetables 5 minutes.
- Put lentils in the cauldron. Salt, cover with water or broth. When using broth salt can not add.
- Wait until the contents of the cauldron boil, stir. Reduce heat and cook 30-35 minutes - until lentils are soft.
A juicy and fragrant lentil side dish with tomatoes is so tasty that it can be served as a separate dish.
Lentils are a healthy product that can be the basis of a tasty and satisfying side dish. You can cook it in a saucepan and a slow cooker. Depending on the expected result, different types of lentils can be used to prepare the garnish, usually for this purpose brown or green is chosen.
