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?

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