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#Post#: 79144--------------------------------------------------
lentils
By: Rain Date: April 12, 2023, 7:01 pm
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I'm switching to the Mediterranean diet and am now incorporating
lentils. I've got a few questions:
do the colors matter that much (I bought red, brown, green, and
black)
do you really need to soak them? (my brown ones started
sprouting when soaked overnight = fresh!!)
IF you add salt, it should be at the end, right?
anyone have any favorite recipes?
Thanks in advance
ps I made curried brown lentils - but it tasted "watery" as I'd
soaked the lentils overnight - adding salt and more onion powder
took care of that
#Post#: 79152--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: Hmmm Date: April 13, 2023, 12:56 pm
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I started using a lot more lentils a few years back. I have a
cookbook that has a guide to all the different types of lentils
that has been helpful to me.
Yes, the color and type does matter. The different types have
different cook times and some hold their shape while other
disintegrate. Brown and green lentils are the most common that
you'll find in N. American grocery stores as dried. They hold
their shape. While they don't need to be soaked, I'll often soak
them for about 15 minutes in hot water while I'm getting other
items together. It just reduces the cooking time.
Red lentils are what is often in some Indian cuisine and used
for dal. They break down quickly and take no time to cook.
French (Puy) lentils are a bit plumper and usually have a
peppery flavor.
This has a pretty good guide.
HTML https://www.tastingtable.com/919985/types-of-lentils-and-how-to-use-them/
And yes, lentils are easy to sprout.
#Post#: 79159--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: Rain Date: April 13, 2023, 7:37 pm
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What's the cookbook?
#Post#: 79160--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: Aleko Date: April 14, 2023, 1:52 am
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I second Rain: the different kinds of lentils behave very
differently. Yes, Indian red and yellow lentils break down
readily into nice soupy dhals. The red lentils traditional in
Britain also break down but lend themselves to making a solid
scoop of carb equivalent in texture and fillingness to mashed
potato. French and Spanish lentils stay separate (unless you
really boil the bejasus out of them, which French and Spanish
cooks don’t do).
And because the kinds are all so different, some will need
soaking but many won’t - check the instructions on the
packaging, if any. But one thing to bear in mind is that pulses
do tend to harden over time, so also check best-before dates. If
you find a packet of lentils that have been forgotten in the
back of your cupboard for a year or so, even if they
weren’t a kind that normally need soaking they may well be
the better for it now.
As for recipes, here are two that I like a lot (so does DH):
- Cook portions of cod (or similar white fish) whichever way you
find easiest - fried, roasted, baked in foil, etc - and serve
with crispy bacon, roasted red peppers just blitzed up to make a
sauce, and plain boiled French-type lentils (perhaps add a bit
of chopped parsley and a splash of olive oil, but no more). The
earthiness of the lentils goes wonderfully with the cod.
It’s worth using top-quality lentils for this as their
flavour and texture is very much to the fore; Puy lentils are
excellent, and there’s a North American variety called
Beluga lentils because they’re small and almost black, and
they keep their shape like French lentils. A scoop of those next
to a piece of fish really does look like caviare, which makes a
fun sight-gag.
- If you’re cooking a potful of French or Spanish lentils
for something, cook some extra to make into a salad another day.
I like to toss them up with halved cherry tomatoes and some
finely-sliced shallots/spring onions*/mild red or white onion,
and dress it with lemon juice and olive oil; but there are all
manner of variations depending on what you have to hand.
#Post#: 79164--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: jpcher Date: April 14, 2023, 4:12 pm
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Mmmmm! My mother used to make a delicious lentile soup, haven't
had it in years. I tried to make it once and it just turned to
mush.
I know she cooked the lentiles with a ham bone and added a whole
bunch of ham and onions and I'm not sure what else.
If you're interested, I can ask my mother for the recipe.
#Post#: 79177--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: Hmmm Date: April 17, 2023, 11:08 am
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[quote author=Rain link=topic=2487.msg79159#msg79159
date=1681432641]
What's the cookbook?
[/quote]
It's an Indian Cookbook called Entice with Spice. It was written
by a local cookbook author and helps me with figuring out the
type of lentil for the different Indian references to dals and
beans. She used to also do local food tours and take us to
Indian grocery stores to learn about products.
If you are interested in any Indian cooking, I highly recommend
her cookbook. It's been around for several years but is written
for the Western kitchen and for people new to Indian cooking. Or
this website does an even more comprehensive guide to Indian
style lentils and beans.
HTML https://sukhis.com/basics-of-indian-cooking-dal-beans-and-lentils/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20common,packed%20addition%20to%20your%20cooking.
#Post#: 79193--------------------------------------------------
Re: lentils
By: Rain Date: April 18, 2023, 7:35 pm
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Rain bows down and says " thank you thank you thank you I'm off
to see if my library has it now"
(later) my search was successful :)
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