Lentils with chicken

Chicken is considered to be more dietary than pork or even beef, but it contains many proteins that the body needs. Chicken costs less than many other types of meat and cooks faster. All this made it a popular food in our country. Most often the chicken is stewed or baked so that it remains juicy and tender. At the same time, the main ingredient is often supplemented with vegetables and cereals. Good ideas would be to replace the cereal with lentils, which are also tasty and healthy, do not require long cooking. Lentils with chicken - a full dish, tasty and satisfying, but not necessarily high-calorie. This dish can be the main dish on the table during a family dinner or lunch. Supporters of a healthy diet, and people who like to eat a hearty meal, will be able to find a suitable recipe. You can prepare such a second in different ways, including in the oven or a slow cooker, which saves the hostess from having to stand at the stove for a long time.

Cooking Features

There are many recipes for cooking chicken with lentils, so there is not and cannot be a single technology for cooking this dish. However, the knowledge of some common points is necessary for the cook to get exactly the result that he expected.

Lentils come in different varieties. Each variety requires a different cooking time. Red lentils are the quickest to be prepared; it takes about 15 minutes to boil. Green lentils cook the longest, which is usually cooked for 30-40 minutes, and in a slow cooker or oven sometimes even longer. Yellow and orange lentils will be ready in 25-35 minutes. A glass of red lentils requires 1, 5 glasses of liquid, green - 2 glasses.
Cooking time depends not only on the lentil variety, but also on its composition, because it may include products that require a longer heat treatment. To avoid mistakes and get the expected result, you should follow the recommendations that accompany the specific recipe.
Chicken with lentils are cooked, pre-cut into portions or even more finely. The larger the pieces of poultry, the longer it will take to prepare the dish. You can use any part of the bird for cooking: legs, wings, breast fillets. It is only important that the product is fresh.
Gourmets note that fresh or chilled chicken dishes are more succulent than frozen ones. However, the frozen product is cheaper and stored for a long time, so many housewives prefer to buy it. So that frozen chicken was not dry, it should be allowed to thaw in natural conditions, without subjecting to a sharp temperature drop. If you want to speed up the process with a microwave or warm water, you will make a mistake that cannot be fixed.
To improve the organoleptic qualities of the finished dish of lentils and chicken meat, vegetables are often added to it. It is believed that if they are pre-fry, the dish will be the most delicious. However, if you are trying to lose weight, then it is desirable to refuse from roasting vegetables. Instead of roasting, they can be sprinkled in a little water.

Lentils with chicken is a self-sufficient dish and does not require any additions. But if, when serving, sprinkle it with fresh herbs or chopped nuts, add cutting with fresh vegetables, then its taste does not exactly lose.

Lentils with chicken in a cauldron or pan

Composition:

red lentils - 0, 2 kg;
water - 0, 3 l;
chicken - 0.5 kg;
carrots - 100 g;
onions - 100 g;
garlic - 3 cloves;
refined vegetable oil - 80 ml;
salt, paprika - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash chicken, peel off skin, separate meat from bones. Cut chicken fillet into pieces approximately 1.5-2 cm in size.
Scrape carrots, wash. Drain the vegetable with a napkin. Cut it into circles. If the carrot is large, you can cut into semicircles or even quarters of circles.
Free onions from the husk, cut into small cubes.
Cut the garlic cloves into small plates.
Pour oil on the bottom of the cauldron or saucepans with a high-quality non-stick coating. Put the chicken in it.
Put the cauldron on the fire, fry the chicken pieces for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until they are browned.
Add chopped vegetables to the chicken, add salt and paprika. Reduce heat.
Fry chicken with vegetables for 10 minutes.
Rinse the lentils, sprinkle it on the vegetables and chicken. Pour with warm boiled water or broth.
Cover the cauldron with a lid, cook lentils with chicken for 15 minutes.
Stir and then simmer the food on low heat for another 5 minutes.

Lentils cooked with chicken according to this recipe, both in appearance and taste are similar to pilaf.

Lentils with chicken wings in a pan

Composition:

chicken wings - 0, 4 kg;
green lentils - 0, 2 kg;
tomatoes - 0, 2 kg;
water - 0, 4 l;
carrots - 150 g;
onions - 150 g;
garlic - 2 cloves;
Bulgarian pepper - 0, 25 kg;
refined vegetable oil - how much will go;
salt, pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash the chicken wings, pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
Wash vegetables.
Remove the husks from the onion, cut it into thin quarters of rings.
Peel the carrots, cut them into thin strips.
From the pepper, remove the seeds along with the stalk. Cut the pepper pulp into small strips.
Dip the tomatoes with boiling water, peel them off. Grind tomato pulp with a blender until mashed.
Re-select the lentils, wash them, pour them into the pan and cover with water.
Bring the contents of the pan to a boil and simmer the lentils over low heat until there is no liquid left in the pan. It takes about 30 minutes. 10 minutes before cooked salted lentils.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, put the chicken wings in it, after having rubbed them with salt and seasonings.
Roast the wings for 10-15 minutes, turning them over periodically until they are covered with a golden crust on all sides.
Remove the chicken wings from the pan, add a little oil. Put the onion in it and wait until it gets a golden hue.
Add carrots, slightly reduce flame intensity. Fry the vegetables until the carrots are soft.
Add pepper and tomato puree, stew vegetables for 5 minutes.
Transfer lentils to vegetables, mix.
Grease the wings with garlic passed through a press, put on the lentils.
Cover the pan with a lid and then cook the food on low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

It remains to spread the chicken wings in plates, beside putting the lentils with vegetables. Food according to this recipe turns out appetizing, juicy and fragrant.

Lentils with chicken fillet in the oven

Composition:

green lentils - 0, 2 kg;
water - 0, 45 l;
chicken fillet - 0, 4 kg;
sweet pepper - 0, 2 kg;
onions - 100 g;
carrots - 100 g;
tomato paste - 20 ml;
salt, spices - to taste;
refined vegetable oil - 20 ml.

Method of preparation:

Wash chicken fillet, dry, cut into small slices, cover them with salt and spices, temporarily set aside.
Wash the vegetables, let them dry.
Peeled pepper cut into small strips.
Grind carrots on a grater with large holes.
Cut diced onion into small cubes.
Grease the pan with oil, put onions and carrots in it, fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
Dissolve tomato paste with two tablespoons of water, pour vegetables over the sauce and simmer them until soft.
Put the vegetables in a baking dish, put the pieces of chicken fillet on top.
Wash lentils. Put on the chicken. Salt and pepper.
Boil the water, preheat the oven.
Fill the food with water, put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes at 200 degrees.

Before you lay out the food on plates, it can be mixed.

Lentils with vegetables and chicken in a slow cooker

Composition:

chicken legs - 0, 6 kg;
green lentils - 0, 2 kg;
water - 0, 3 l;
tomatoes - 0, 2 kg;
carrots - 100 g;
onions - 100 g;
Bulgarian pepper - 0, 2 kg;
refined vegetable oil - 80 ml;
curry seasoning - 5 g;
salt - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash chicken legs, blot with a kitchen towel, cut into portions.
Tomatoes, after pouring boiling water, peel. Using a blender, turn the tomato pulp into a puree. Dilute it with boiled water, add salt and curry seasoning.
Cut the peeled carrots into small cubes.
Slice the onion-free bulb into slices of similar shape.
Cut the pepper pulp in small squares.
Pour oil into the bowl of the multicooker, put pieces of chicken into it.
Turn on the unit by activating the “Frying” program. If the function of cooking in your device is not provided, use the program "Baking".
Fry the chicken for 7-8 minutes, then turn over and continue cooking in the same program for about the same time.
Add vegetables. Cook them in the same program for 10 minutes with the chicken, stirring occasionally.
Add the washed lentils. Stir the contents of the container multicooker. Pour the prepared sauce into it.
Change the program by selecting the one that is most suitable for preparing meals from cereals. It may be called “Pilau”, “Rice”, “Buckwheat” or otherwise. If you want to set the cooking time, set the timer to 60 minutes.

After the program is completed, the food remains mixed, laid out on plates and served to the table, trying to get everyone to share the chicken.

Lentils are an excellent alternative to cereals, especially for those who are trying to reduce the consumption of foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates. It becomes a tasty and satisfying dish if it is stewed or baked along with chicken and vegetables. You can prepare such food for lunch or dinner in a saucepan, pan, oven, multi-cooker. The composition of these dishes may seem similar, but in fact the result is food that differs in its organoleptic qualities.

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