My doctor (who's British) and every piece of literature on earth says that Lentils are one of the best things you can eat. I have about three lentil recipes that I know are good.

Anybody else have some suggestions here?

~String

the best source of non-heme iron.

perhaps, though i dont cook, you should just leave them in a bowl full of water. if too raw that way you can boil the water first and then pour water over lentils. at that point you take lentils and put them over noodles or perhaps in a salad.

What lentils do you have?

http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/8/824/8E8Y000Z/beans-peas-and-lentils.jpg

The best way to cook most lentils is to soak them for a few hours then pressure cook them for 15-20 mins [add three times the water]. I like to make split yellow lentils with just a couple of garlic cloves, an onion and some green chillies. Also, lentils have a high amount of undigestible fiber so it helps to add some ginger to minimise gas formation. For additional flavour you can temper it with the garlic [instead of just adding the garlic] and some cumin.

What lentils do you have?

I can generally make about anything based upon sound cooking formulae that I've learned both at home and while living in Spain.

I've had the brown ones for some time, which I've cooked to less than desirable results. I just bought the yellow ones from India and the results were fantastic.

The bag said that no soaking was necessary, so I just browned two whole chicken thighs and breasts in a pot (yes, skin on, with bones--- yeah healthy). Then I pulled the chicken and sauteed a miripoix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirepoix_(cuisine)) in the renderings. I added four cups of chicken stock, saffron, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and a HALF roasted (and cleaned) habaņero for heat and flavor. Brought to boil then I re added the chicken and 2 cups of the yellow lentils. Simmered for 20 and cut the heat.

Honestly, it turned out amazingly well. I couldn't have asked for more. While the fact that I was looking for something uber-healthy didn't come to fruition (I wanted to make sure they'd taste great first; will leave out the skin and fat the next time and focus on just chicken breast only), I was very pleased with the overall flavor.

One bad thing: The yellow ones got a little mushy. Don't get me wrong, it in no way bothered me, but I was expecting a bit more of a whole consistency. Eh. No harm done. And no gas either.

~String

You have to cook them with limited water to keep them unmushy, usually we make dal out of the yellow lentils.

http://lh3.google.com/archanagk/R7gVoq50mKI/AAAAAAAAFsA/FjySBMGC7OE/s400/kitchen%20223%20copy.jpg

My doctor (who's British) and every piece of literature on earth says that Lentils are one of the best things you can eat. I have about three lentil recipes that I know are good.

Anybody else have some suggestions here?

~String


He lies. Spinach is one of the best things you can eat.

this stuff is divine...

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lentil-and-Green-Collard-Soup/Detail.aspx

You have to cook them with limited water to keep them unmushy, usually we make dal out of the yellow lentils.

http://lh3.google.com/archanagk/R7gVoq50mKI/AAAAAAAAFsA/FjySBMGC7OE/s400/kitchen%20223%20copy.jpg

some onion fell in your soup.

He lies. Spinach is one of the best things you can eat.

He said "one of". Key words there pal!

~String

He lies. Spinach is one of the best things you can eat.

Spinach and lentils are awesome! We're making some today. :p

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1562/2477/400/lasunidalpalak.jpg


http://saffrontrail.blogspot.com/2006/04/lasooni-dal-palak-garlicky-lentils.html

Thanks SAM.

~String

Here is a whole bunch of Indian dal recipes [by no means exhaustive]

http://www.indianfoodforever.com/daal/

Dal also goes well as an addition to meat curries [red].

Make red curry with meat, pressure cook tuvar dal [a half cup per one and half kg meat] and simmer together. Be careful since dal tends to sink to the bottom and can get burned easily. Some variations on the theme

http://www.hyderabadplanet.com/dal-gosht-recipe.html

http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/daal-gosht.php

http://www.khanakhazana.com/recipes/view.aspx?id=1186

Sam aparently the lentals (especially chickpeas) grown in australia are designed (through delibrate selection not genetic modification) so that they dont require soaking. They can just be thrown straight in a pot and cooked

Most lentils in India are dried.

here to (and thats what they were talking about not canned) but then so is pasta and that doesnt require overnight soaking either:p

No, but the reasons are different. Most lentils will not sprout unless soaked, for one and I believe that some lentils are soaked and the water discarded because they contain anti-trypsin agents.

Even the non-American recipes on Lentils tout the wonderful fact that pre-soaking is unnecessary because of their unique surface to volume ratio.

Also, are chick peas considered lentils? I already eat a ton of them. But they couldn't be more different in shape and taste.

My yellow/orange lentils are from India. My brown ones are from California. Is there a substantial nutritional difference because, while I like them both, I think the yellow ones are amazing. I've been eating the lentil soup I made a couple days ago and it's only improved with time (and I just threw shit together to make it). I've since written down the exact recipe for better recreation in the future.

Thanks again for the recipes.

OH: Why did all this questioning on my part come about? My doctor seems to think that I may have a rare form of wheat allergies and wants me to go the next 30 days without eating it. So I'm getting creative to get my "good" carbs.

~String

sorry about that string, i made a mestake in that post. lentils and chickpeas are both PULSES not lentils, my mestake

... lentils and chickpeas are both PULSES not lentils, my mestake

??? lentils aren't lentils? :shrug:

My doctor (who's British) and every piece of literature on earth says that Lentils are one of the best things you can eat. I have about three lentil recipes that I know are good.

Anybody else have some suggestions here?

~String

We don't eat lentils. I think of split peas when I think of lentils and I hate split peas. Too mushy.

I just made calico beans (http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotbeans/r/bl26c10.htm) with black beans and chick peas thrown in though. I use butter beans, not lima beans YUMMY!!! We have those about 3x a month.

I also just bought Quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa). Very good with jalapenos and chicken. Ever had quinoa?

Even the non-American recipes on Lentils tout the wonderful fact that pre-soaking is unnecessary because of their unique surface to volume ratio.

Also, are chick peas considered lentils? I already eat a ton of them. But they couldn't be more different in shape and taste.

My yellow/orange lentils are from India. My brown ones are from California. Is there a substantial nutritional difference because, while I like them both, I think the yellow ones are amazing. I've been eating the lentil soup I made a couple days ago and it's only improved with time (and I just threw shit together to make it). I've since written down the exact recipe for better recreation in the future.

Thanks again for the recipes.

OH: Why did all this questioning on my part come about? My doctor seems to think that I may have a rare form of wheat allergies and wants me to go the next 30 days without eating it. So I'm getting creative to get my "good" carbs.

~String

I don't know what other lentils are like, I like the yellow ones [tuvar], red ones [masoor] and pale yellow oval ones [moong]. Sometimes I use the white oval ones [udad] to make idlis and dosas, along with rice. I get Indian lentils everywhere I've been so I never bothered with any other kind.

are they expensive?

They are between 60-70 rupees a kilo in Mumbai, which compared to chicken [>100], beef [>120], goats meat [>200] and fish [>300] is the cheapest form of protein available.

what would plain rice cost in Mumbai?

There is no such thing as "plain" rice.

There is kolam rice [of which the one we use is from Surat, called Surti Kolam], which is between 30 and 40 rupees a kg, ambemohar rice, which is around 40-50 rupees and basmati rice, which is between 80-120 rupees a kg.

I prefer the ambemohar rice, the grains are small and fine and it smells like mango blossoms.

why is basmati so expensive. here it is only fractionally more expensive than plain rice.

Its real basmati, the kind that lets teh whole neighborhood know its being cooked.

Its extremely long and fine, but not very soft, unlike the kolam rice which is very soft and easy to chew

basmati rice:

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11096523/Basmati_Non_basmati_Rice_Pakistan.jpg

There are also other variants of rice like silky, sona masoori and jasmine rice. But we use these three varieties.

I also just bought Quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa). Very good with jalapenos and chicken. Ever had quinoa?

I looked for it at the store the other day. Supposedly another superfood.

~String

I looked for it at the store the other day. Supposedly another superfood.

~String

I got it at the deli counter. I have no idea how to cook it. It reminded me of barley. Quite chewy with a nutty flavour.

? the lentil soups I have had have been slightly thicker looking than the pictures you have posted.( but probably as tasty)

I eat lentils a fair bit and the easiest thing for me, is to just substitute the meat for lentils. I usually make stir fries with lentils. Also, I havn't tried these yet, but I've got a few good recipies in my vegetarian cookbook that I've been meaning to try. There's a recipe for a lentil bolognese, and a lentil, shallot and mushroom pie. They both look so good, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it haha.

Lentils are a staple food for me as a vegetarian- I have a pot of lentil soup I made two days ago in the fridge as we speak.

Saute onions, peppers and garlic with some oil, add lentils and water; salt and pepper- cook for an hour plus and you're good to go.

Something I was thinking about last night was veggie chili. Make kidney beans and add tomato sauce and all kinds of veggies. Add chili powder and you're good to go. I always add a tablespoon of peanut butter in the end to give it some thickness.

I eat lentil soup once a week.

BUT I HATE SPINACH.

I eat lentil soup once a week.

.

Do you make it yourself?


BUT I HATE SPINACH

Do you eat it raw? Its not too bad raw.

Do you eat it raw? Its not too bad raw.Spinach is my favorite leafy green and it's always the green in my salads. But I agree, cooked spinach is one of the yuckiest flavors on Earth. And the texture... geeze there are no words to describe it. As if I could talk while gagging.

Hmm I may try it raw one day.