Lentils
 

Lentils are often my once or twice a week vegetarian dinner, but I usually make the same thing. I like mixing them with fresh or roasted veggies, and that is what I always do. I'm looking to do something different, so am taking suggestions. What is your favorite lentil dish/recipe?

Indian Cuisine is heavy on all kinds of lentils
 

Have you had a chance to experiment with Indian cuisine.... They are super heavy on the usage of all kinds of lentils (includng the ones you don't get in regular stores/ natural stores). You have to go to special Indian stores to get them (e.g. Thuvar, Urad, Channa dal etc.), Common lentils like whole mung - you should get them fairly every where. .

Try to search a Indian receipie website with the key word for lentils ("DAL" or "DHAL").... and you will get a gazillion lentil receipies....

Here's one I like:

Put one portion of red lentils in a pot. Add two portions water, spices to taste (coriander, salt, chilies). Bring to a boil and simmer until smooth. Then, in a separate pan, saute cumin seeds, sliced garlic cloves and black onion seeds in mustard oil (or any oil you like), until the garlic is light brown. Add to the lentils. Stir in chopped coriander leaves (cilantro), a boiled egg or two, and serve over rice with pickles on the side. Maybe some yogurt, too.

I have a lentil moussaka that I like. Cook the lentils in a strong veggie broth & then add tomato sauce & a bunch of herbs (oregano, thyme, etc.) and then let it all cook down. Layer with eggplant (baked, sauted, whatever you prefer), top with a layer of cheese and then a mix of yogurt and beaten egg & bake. Yummers. ^

I'm not real big on Indian cusine. Going out for it once in a while is enough. The other suggestions sound good, especially the moussaka. Thanks.

Lentil soup...lots of tomato stock, spices...mmmm! ^

My favorite is a staple come the Lenten seasons. M'jedhra, I think is what the Lebanese call it.

Prepare lentils, cook rice. Personally, I think they add a touch of cinnamon to the lentils, but it could be some other spice. Add equal portions to a bowl.

Then the key is adding caramelized onions as a topping. I mean really caramelized...almost to the point of being burnt. The more the better.

Very filling and very tasty with pita on the side.

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That is a good suggestion. I've not made it (looked at recipes, though), but have had it in restaurants. I'd also recommend some yogurt and a bit of cilantro on the side with at pita.

There are some good recipes out there for a lentil roast - comes out sort of like a meat loaf. Makes wonderful sandwiches when it is cold.
Main ingredients I remember are lentils, corn flakes (or bread crumbs), onions, nuts, milk, eggs. Seasoning is salt and some ground sage.

Question for regular lentil buyers...

You incited me to actually buy some red lentils and try out a couple of recipies! :)

The pack I bought is in a regular plastic sealed bag like a lot of other similar food items.

However, when I got home, I noticed it has 2 very small needle like pricks through the plastic on the back of the pack. They look like they've been made as part of the packaging process rather than later (due to their symmetry and equal spacing)

A couple of websites I've visited suggest that this could be to expel air from the packaging process, yet I don't see similar when I buy (for example) popping corn kernels in the same type of packaging.

I didn't get a chance to check if other packs are the same, and won't for a few days, so I'm iffy as to whether the lentils are ok. Any opinions? Is this normal for packaging lentils? How would the lentils be affected if the holes aren't part of the regular packing process?

Another vote for Indian Cuisine.

I feel like the packaging is not always airtight, so I think I'd be inclined not to worry, if nothing else, because it seems like it it would be hard to taint lentils -- they are too hard to be absorbent without effort and you would boil them in the cooking process. I'd use them.

I second this. I crave tomato soup 24/7.

I make dal once a week, the same way every time - small reds with cumin, turmeric, bay leaf, onion and celery.

Great thread. Thanks for starting it. I need some variation too!

Lentil & Mustard Pottage

1 large leek - halved lengthways and slice across into pieces
1 carrot - peeled & chopped
1 sliced onion
2 teaspoons dry English mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
8oz Green lentils - washed & drained
1.5 pints vegetable stock
1 bay leaf & salt & pepper to taste..

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan, add onion and fry on low heat until soft. Add leek and carrot, cook for further 5minutes until softened, stir in mustards and cook 1 more minute.

Add lentils, stock, bay leaf and pepper to pan and simmer for 45 minutes until lentils are very tender and liquid reduced and thickened. Add salt to taste.

For a change you could try adding some matzo meal dumplings to cook amidst this or any similar pottage. Delicious and very filling. Let me know if you want more info.

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Or for a salad, cut an eggplant into 1 inch chunks and brown it with a little olive oil. Roast/grill/char 1 red and two yellow capsicum peppers until blackened and skin/deseed them, also turning them into 1 inch chunks. (You can do this in an oven - 30 minutes at 400F - but I manage without).

Wash 8oz Green lentils and pt them into a saucepan of of cold water with a halved onion and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil & simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft but not mushy. Strain, rinse with cold water and discard onion and bay leaf.

For the dressing - juice of one lemon whisked with 3.5 fl oz (100ml) of olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh parsley and mint.

Toss together eggplant, peppers, lentils and 4 large chopped fresh tomatoes in bowl with dressing (up to you if you want to skin the tomatoes - I don't always skin the peppers, just grill them in strips as I saute the aubergine/eggplant)

both recipes adapted from Leiths Vegetarian Bible

I just had dal for breakfast. Not a huge variation of my usual, but instead used garlic, a couple dollops of T Joe's masala sauce and cilantro. Thanks for the inspiration guys.

PS - Aus Mal, did you use yours? I buy from the bulk foods section, so couldn't help you on the holey bag, but I wouldn't worry about it. (ditto telfes :))

Should be using them tonight. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger :D

That sounds like a very good recepie. :)

I'm not quite sure what you mean - if you are saying that the plastic pack has been damaged, I suppose you could return it to the grocer for a refund or exchange? As with others, I eat them so much that I buy them in bulk. They're probably fine.

One thing I will say is that before cooking, it helps to place the lentils on a flat surfact and inspect, so as to sort out small twigs and even pebbles from the batch. And then rinse well before cooking.

Goya Foods has really good canned lentils, but I prefer making mine from scratch because it's so easy. Enjoy!

I love lentils, but my favorite lentil soup recipe requires sausage.

And, I don't think there's food in the world that give me worse wind. :(

That's what my aunt does when preparing them.

Aus_Mal, I saw your handle in OMNI last night, so I take it you are "stronger" today? :D

:( It's another batch of lentils again for me tonight. I have nothing else in the house that would make a balanced meal. What will my recipe be today...

Try adding some Jerusalem Artichokes to your next lentil bake:D

I have found that sausage without fennel helps out that kind of situation.


Again, thanks everyone for some really good ideas on lentil dishes.

Indonesian cookings use lots of lentils as well.

Fish and lentils go together well too. I have tried putting fried fish fillets on top of a lentil "bed".

Lol. Yeah the holes in the packaging are standard for this particular brand so nothing untoward! Still havn't used the lentils though. Think tomorrow night is the night depending on how I feel after getting home from work. All ingredients are ready for a nice Dahl and/or roast.

Mmmm. Sounds great already!

Also, for a heavier meal (I guess it's winter in your neck of the woods), and if you like lamb, you could try making this French thing called "petit sale aux lentilles" which is basically lamb stew with lentils. They actually make a canned version of this in France, which is to die for. ;)

http://www.my-french-house.com/recip...ux-lentils.php

Although in this recipe, the meat indicated is "gammon" - I'm not sure what that is, but traditionally, this recipe calls for lamb. Of course, with stew, you can use whichever meat you like.

Gammon is ham

Well I did cook up my lentils tonight into a Dahl.

Was nice (not great) but nice.

I think this weekend I'll experiment with a Lentil Bake and/or a Lentil Soup. If anyone has any recipies for a bake that uses BreadCrumbs and doesn't require a blender and a million other ingredients, I'd be interested in knowing.

I rarely get to use an oven so can't personally comment - but it comes from my Leiths recipe book which always yields good results.

Lentil & Mushroom Bake with seed topping

1 large onion, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
8oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced (most mushrooms should be fine for this)
5oz Brown lentils
1/2 pint mushroom stock (just put some dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes, minding any grit, or use any stock you like)
8oz canned chopped tomatoes

topping:
2oz fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1oz pinenuts, chopped
1oz pumpkin seeds
1 oz butter (melted)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and fry over low heat until it starts to brown. Add carrot, celery & mushrooms and fry until soft. Stir in lentils, stock and tomatoes, season with salt & pepper, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender and liquid has reduced to a syrupy sauce binding ingredients together. Check seasoning and adjust.

Preheat oven to 375F/190C/gas mk5. Brush an ovenproof dish with oil.

Topping - mix together ingredients and season with salt & pepper.

Spoon lentils into oiled dish. Scatter on topping and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.


There seems to be plenty of leeway in this recipe for you to make omissions, additions and substitutions. (The Spanish part of me would compel me to fry the tomato before adding the lentils and stock - and I prefer using Japanese panko to wholemeal breadcrumbs.) You should be able to get creative with the seeds you choose for the topping.

Ok, I am starting to like lentils. I'm actually surprised because it had always been one of those foods that I shied away from because I perceived it tasted bad and/or was just weird.

Tonight I cooked up a different type of bake that I found on the net - Mushroom and Lentil. (basically breadcrumbs, vege stock, onion, red lentils, mushrooms, some herbs/spices and some tomato paste). Was very nice and moreish.

Can't see myself going vego, but will definately include more lentil in my diet.

PS, Thanks LapLap for the bake recipe.

National Lentil Festival
 

Pullman, Washington (PUW) holds the National Lentil Festival annually.

For those who enjoy everything lentil, this is the event for you!

According to its website, Friday has a giant lentil cookoff, where they make a HUGE vat of lentil Chili. I flew in a day too late (heading back to school at Washington State) but my parents saved me a cup and it was good! Saturday has a bunch of vendors selling all sorts of weird products and foods, such as lentil eggrolls, which are ok... and I even heard a rumor of lentil ice cream.

Unfortunately, this occurred last weekend, so if interested, you'll get to wait another year to enjoy~

One of our favorites, any indian grocery store should have the spices.


Dhansak

6 tbl oil
5 green chillies -- fresh, chopped
1 inch ginger -- grated
3 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- sliced
2 bay leaves
1 piece cinamonstick -- (2 inch)
2 lb lean lamb -- cut into large pieces
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chana dhal or yellow split peas
1/4 cup moondhal
1/4 cup red lentils
2 potatoes -- cut and soaked in water
1 eggplant -- cut and soaked in water
4 onions -- finely sliced, deep fried and drained (we sauteed them in a bit of the oil)
2 oz spimach -- fresh or frozen, thawed, chopped
1 oz fenugreek leaves -- fresh or dried
4 oz pumpkin -- squash, or carrots, chopped
4 oz fresh cillantro -- shopped
2 oz fresh mint -- chopped
2 tbl dhansak masala
2 tbl sambhar masala
2 tsp brown sugar
4 tbl tamarind juice
salt

Heat a bit of the oil in a large fry pan. gently fry the chilies, ginger, crushed garlic, bay and cinnamon for 2 minutes, add the malb and water, bring to a boil, cimmercovered, until the lamb is half cooked

Drain the meat stock into another pan, and put the malb aside. Add the lentils to the stock, coom for 25 or 30 minutes until they are tender. Mash them with the back of a spoon. Keep the heat low when you are cooking, they will not soften at high temp.

Drain the potatoes and eggplant, add ot the lentils, add most of the sauteed onions, save some. Add spinach, fenugreek, and the carrot/squash/pumpkin

Add some hot water if it seems too thick, cook until veggies are tender, mash again with a spoon, keeping the veggies a bit course.

Heat a bit of oil in a large pan, save some mint and corriander for garnish, gently fry the rest with the masalas, salt, sugar. Add lamb pieces, dently fry for 5 minutes.

Add the lamb and spices to the lentils, stir. If the lentils absorb too much fluids, adjust with a bit of water. Cover, reduceheat, cook until the lamb is tender, add the tamarind juice

Fry the garlic slices until golden brown

Sprinkis the garlic over the mix, garnish with the remaining onion, and reserved leaves

Serve over rice.

Cordelli, you just made me drool. Big time.

OP, try cooking red lentils in coconut milk with thai curry paste (red or green) and vegetables, plus onions, peppers, garlic-ginger paste, and some chilies. Not very orthodox, but as a quick meal it's quite acceptable over rice.