Lentils
Posted by KendraKat on Jun 24, 2007 · Member since Nov 2006 · 287 posts
The other day I saw Alton Brown do a show about lentils. (I love his show Good Eats when he presents something Veg*n!)
Anyway, I have never cooked with dry, basic lentils before, and wondered what everyone liked to do with them. Also, which ones are the best? There seem to be a variety of colors.
I am thinking a simple soup, but nothing heavy since it is summer and all. Any ideas?
Hi KendraKat, I made this recipe a few weeks ago. OMG, it is so good :D
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4898
Oh, yeah, lentil soup. It's not heavy at all but it IS especially tasty when the weather is cold. Soup is one of my comfort foods anyway. My standard lentil soup is one called Greek Lentil Soup from the original Laurel's Kitchen cookbook. It was/is so good, I've never searched for another lentil soup recipe.
As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to cook a new dish today (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=15546) because I love lentils and I love spinach. I like the greenish brown ones the best.
Lentils are also good in cold salads.
The other day I saw Alton Brown do a show about lentils. (I love his show Good Eats when he presents something Veg*n!)
Anyway, I have never cooked with dry, basic lentils before, and wondered what everyone liked to do with them. Also, which ones are the best? There seem to be a variety of colors.
I use them ALOT in my Indian cooking. (not too many good recipes here tho)
It's not so much which are 'best" as that they all have different tastes so there are spices/mixtures that go better with one variety than another. For ex: I make a really good Brown Lentil with Dill, but i would NEVER make Red Lentils with Dill. I recently created a fabulous new red lentils with zuccini recipe, but I wouldn't use brown lentils in it. :P
If you search through my past posts, per aprevious request I posted the ISBNs of 3 Indian cookbooks I recommend.
If you like Indian that is. :)
The "Delicious Pakistani Dhal" has become one of my comfort foods. It's made with red lentils and I was feeling deprived earlier this month when I ran out of red lentils and it was at least a week before I could go to Whole Foods to buy more!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4917
Sorry to hijack this, but what are the differences (taste/texture/what they're used for) between the different types of lentils...I'm only really familiar with whatever kind they put in canned lentil soup, so I'm not familiar with the differences. :-[
Red and yellow lentils are often peeled and sometimes split, so they cook up creamier. Watch the water levels, you may have to experiment a bit.
Green or brown lentils are harder, unpeeled and need to be pre-soaked unless labelled "quick cooking."
For everyday eating, I like them with cumin, garlic, onion, bayleaf, a touch of red pepper and tomato. Do NOT use tomato catsup instead of tomato paste or a plain raw tomato, it will stick to the pan, I promise you, and burn.
And once you burn lentils in a pan, you'd just as well throw it out and buy a new one.
Ask me how I know this. ;D
I know it's hot outside but this soup is soooo good with some crusty bread:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4848.0
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10551.0
You don't have to put chick pea though. It has perfect blend of spices. ( I buy saffron from Trader Joe's. )
I second Delicious Pakastani Dhal, it really is delicious. It's a good one for people who have never had dhal before. I normally use the whole can of tomatoes, it makes it a bit lighter. You could also experiment with adding stock to make it lighter, but that will probably turn it into a soup. I have it with lots of fresh lightly fried veges on the side. It's not too heavy if you don't have too much of it.
to me the easiest, tastiest thing is just making lentils (in water) with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. then i usually slice cucumbers and put it on the cucumbers. i bet if you added avocados and tomatoes that would be good, too, AND very light!
yum...
Unbelievable lentil tacos...the name says it all!!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5977
I'm going to use this recipe to make seasoned lentils for a taco salad, too. But these lentil tacos are to-die-for.
Also - holiday lentil loaf is good. And sweet potato dhal. I love lentils!
Also - holiday lentil loaf is good. And sweet potato dhal. I love lentils!
I agree that the Delicious Pakistani Dal is a good basic lentil recipe, but I personally found the sweet potato dal a bitter disappointment. And I LOVE sweetpotatoes. :(
I'll give those taco lentils a try when I feel like a little break from my Indian routine. ;)
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Cook the green kind, til they're firm but done, and then drain off most of the juice and add sloppy joe's fixins. Ketchup (or be healthier and use reduced sodium tomato puree) and onions and bell peppers (capsicums). Simmer til the veggies are tender, or saute them before adding the lentils to them instead. Season w/ salt & pepper and serve on a split burger roll. Delicious!
I really like the sweet potato dahl on here. I also took it to a dinner party and got rave reviews. But I did play around with the spices a bit 8)
I also made the Yummy Lentils and Spinach (because Bookmama raved about it) this weekend and LOVE it. So very satisfying and tasty. Instead of serving it on rice, I just added the (cooked) rice to the pot and have more of a stew. Splash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos and there you go!
I love lentils too! ;D
I really like the sweet potato dahl on here. I also took it to a dinner party and got rave reviews. But I did play around with the spices a bit 8)
What is the link to the sweet potato dahl? That sounds so good!
Thanks for all the great ideas everyone! I am so hungry for lentils now... And I have never even cooked them before! 8)
I am going to WF today and plan to buy the ingredients for the "Delicious Pakistani Dhal." I don't have any of those spices though (still a wimpy spice collection.) I am planning on buying the curry powder. Can you tell me the other spices that are essential to making this recipe taste great? Oh, I don't like things super spicy... Thanks!
The recipe calls for:
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
I really like the sweet potato dahl on here. I also took it to a dinner party and got rave reviews. But I did play around with the spices a bit 8)
What is the link to the sweet potato dahl? That sounds so good!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=14783
I like this a lot but it does need a few "tweaks" as I noted in my reviews...
Make lentil soup I'd say with lots of garlic and some basil.
Thanks for all of the ideas... I am no longer a lentil virgin, I make the Delicious Pakistani Dahl a couple of days ago... Amazing! I can't believe I have lived this long without lentils in my life! (I felt this way the first time I tried seitan too.) This dish was even better on the 2nd and 3rd day when the flavors had time to mix.... Yum! ;D
Thanks PI_P!
I topped it with a little Tofutti sour cream. And BTW, that stuff is amazing too. I used to eat "real" sour cream by the spoon full (really weird I know) and when this stuff is in a recipe you can't even tell its not the real thing. I recommend it! Also, I added carrots and zucchini during the last few minutes of cooking to make the dish a little lighter...
Lentils rock 8)
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