How to cook brown lentils for a side dish: a recipe with a photo, cooking tips

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 16:12

Lentils can be prepared in many ways. If you compare it in terms of calories with other products, then it can even replace meat. In our article, we will detail how to cook brown lentils as a side dish to make an incredibly tasty and aromatic dish.

At one time, it was a popular representative of legumes, but with the advent of potatoes, lentils have lost their popularity. However, many people prefer it to all other dishes.

How long to cook

How many minutes to cook brown lentils for a side dish? This legume is cooked in 40 to 60 minutes. Some housewives believe that this is a long time. But as a result, you get a very tasty dish. This is a he althy side dish option that can diversify the diet of each of us.

To speed up the process, you need to soak the lentils in water overnight. Then it is boiled for only 20-25 minutes. Now you know how long to cook brown lentils.

By placing this product in the steamer,have to wait about 1 hour. During this time, the lentils will boil well.

Some cooking features

We continue to figure out how to cook brown lentils for a side dish. When preparing this he althy cereal, consider these tips:

• Pour lentils only with cold running water. So the side dish will not turn into porridge.
• When boiling cereals for a side dish or stew, pour it with three glasses of water. When preparing lentils for salad, use less water (2 cups maximum) to keep the lentils from overcooking.
• S alt the lentils at the end of cooking, otherwise they will be hard and tough.
• Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pot.
• Rosemary, sage, celery, bay leaf will be the best addition to lentils and give it a special flavor.

Boiled brown lentils for garnish

For cooking you will need:

• 200 grams of brown lentils.
• 450 milliliters of purified water.
• 85 grams of onion.
• 85 grams of carrots.
• Refined vegetable oil.
• Black ground pepper.
• S alt.

We offer step-by-step cooking instructions. Following our recommendations, you will easily understand how to cook brown lentils for a side dish. You must do the following:

• Wash the lentils, cover with water and leave for an hour.
• After that, drain the water and replace with a new one, lightly s alted.
• Placeon the fire and cook for 15-25 minutes.
• While the side dish is cooking, start preparing the vegetable dressing. To do this, peel and chop the onion, place it in a pan with heated vegetable oil and fry for 5-7 minutes.
• Add grated carrots and fry for another 5 minutes.
• After cooking, drain the water from the lentils, throwing it into a colander. Wait for it to drain. Mix vegetable dressing with grits and serve.

Cooking in a slow cooker

You will need these ingredients:

• 160 grams of lentils.
• 450 milliliters of purified water.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• 75 grams of onion.
• 75 grams of carrots.
• 35 milliliters of refined oil.
• 90 grams sweet bell pepper.
• S alt and ground black pepper to taste.

How to cook brown lentils for a side dish using a slow cooker? To prepare a side dish in a slow cooker, first fry the peeled and crushed garlic in oil, selecting the “Baking” cooking mode. After that, remove the garlic, and place the onion, carrot and bell pepper in the resulting garlic oil. Saute the vegetables until they are soft, then add the washed lentils. Fill everything with water. Select the "Group" or "Buckwheat" mode. Cook until the end of the program.

When preparing this dish, observe the proportions. How to cook brown lentils for a side dish so that the grains are soft, butwhole? Take 1 part beans and 2 parts water.

Delicious easy lentil recipes

This herbal product goes well with mushrooms, as well as stews, baked and even fried. Lentils are the best addition to meat. We bring to your attention a few simple recipes that will help diversify the diet. If you are not a fan of lentils, then at least once try to cook it. You may change your mind.

To make dishes with this cereal even tastier, you need to boil lentils for 5-10 minutes. Next, the water must be drained (it will be dark in color), the cereal should be washed under running water and boiled again.

If you follow this simple advice, you will get a tasty and tender dish that can be given even to children.

Cooking lentils with mushrooms in a slow cooker

This dish is great for vegetarians. Lentils and mushrooms are a storehouse of proteins. In addition, this cereal contains many vitamins and minerals, such as A, E, B₁, B₂, B_{9, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus.}

To cook this tasty and he althy dish in a slow cooker, take:

• Brown lentils and mushrooms in equal quantities (400 grams each).
• 1 onion.
• Butter 50 grams.
• A few cloves of garlic.
• Green.

Cook as shownSee below for step by step recipe:

• Put butter into the multicooker bowl.
• Chop the onion and lightly fry.
• Cut the mushrooms into cubes or slices and send to the onion.
• Fry food for 15 minutes, closing the multicooker lid.
• Add lentils and 4 cups of water.
• Turn on the “Cooking” or “Frying” mode and cook for 20 minutes.
• Turn on the "Extinguishing" mode. Stir the ingredients and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Decorate the finished dish with finely chopped greens.

Lentils with mushrooms do not need to be seasoned with anything else. It's quite juicy on its own, and the mushrooms and onions and garlic give it a bit of piquancy.

Falafel

This is a very interesting brown lentil dish. Preparing it is quite simple. Falafel is a vegetable-based meatball. The main ingredient in it is chickpeas, but lentils are also great as an alternative substitute. To cook such cutlets that came to us from Turkish cuisine, you need to take:

• 400 grams of lentils.
• 1 onion.
• 3-4 garlic cloves.
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour or fiber.
• Green.
• Vegetable oil (for frying).
• Spices.

Step-by-step cooking consists in preliminary preparation of cereals. It should be boiled and chopped with a blender until a homogeneous puree is obtained. Add garlic and spices to it. To stir thoroughly. After that, add half the greens and flour andonce again, beat everything well. Mass for cutlets is ready.

Shape your hands into cakes. Place your blanks in the oil heated in a frying pan, after rolling them in flour. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. After that, place the cutlets in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius.

If brown lentils don't work for you, you can try boiling them with lamb. How to do this, read below.

Lentils with lamb

To make this delicious dish you will need:

• Lentils - 2 cups.
• Lamb - 400 grams.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Carrot - 1 piece
• Garlic - 1 head.
• Water - 450 ml.
• Spices.
• Fresh greens.

How to cook brown lentils for a side dish, if you use lamb as one of the components? Step by step instructions:

• Put a heavy bottomed pot on the fire.
• Place minced meat in it. Do not add oil.
• Sear until the lamb is juicy. Once this happens, place a layer of minced onions and grated carrots on top of the meat.
• Simmer food under a closed lid for 20-25 minutes.
• Then add garlic, seasoning and s alt. Mix everything thoroughly.
• Add lentils pre-soaked in water.
• Add water.
• Simmer for at least 40 minutes. After the time has elapsed, turn off the stove and let the dish brew with the lid closed.

Lentils are a great option forgarnish. You can easily diversify your diet using this he althy and tasty product. Above, we told you how long to cook brown lentils until tender. To keep the process short, soak this cereal in water like beans or peas.

Now you know how to cook brown lentils for a side dish. A dietary dish necessarily requires boiling the cereal for several minutes, and then draining the water. In this case, lentils will not cause increased gas formation in the intestines.

You can use this cereal for vegetable salads. To do this, lentils should be boiled until tender, cooled and added as a satisfying component to chopped fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Dressing such a salad is required with olive oil.