All About Lentils 101
All about lentils: how to cook lentils, the difference between varieties/colors of lentils, when to salt lentils when cooking on the stovetop. Learn which variety of lentils is best for salads and which variety is best for dal, how much water to use when cooking lentils, and if cooked lentils can be frozen.
General Cooking Tips:
Rinse & sort out debris.
Bring to a boil with 2.5-4 cups of water per cup of dry lentils (for green, black, brown varieties).
Use 1.5-2 cups of water per cup of split lentils (red, yellow, orange).
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 25-60 minutes. (6-15 minutes for split varieties)
Salt whenever. Add aromatics.
Can be frozen (slightly undercook the ones you want to freeze).
Wine-Glazed Lentils & Lentil Pot Pie - lentils may look homely, but you can certainly dress them up. Glazing them in wine with some basic vegetables and/or draping them in buttery crust will take your lentil game to the next level.
WINE-GLAZED LENTILS & LENTIL POT PIE RECIPE
Ingredients
1.5 cups dry green lentils (or brown)
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, smashed or grated
1 tbsp tomato paste
2/3 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (or 2 tbsp)
*for pot pie, puff pastry or phyllo dough and melted butter
Recipe summary: bring lentils, water, bay leaf, and salt to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove foam. Do not drain. Keep lentils in cooking water. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat and add carrots, onion, celery. Spread evenly in pan and let brown for 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and reduce until syrupy, no more than 10 minutes. Add lentils and cooking water and dijon mustard. Stir well and continue simmering until thickened. If serving as pot pie, roll puff pastry into 1/8th inch thick and measure circles 1/2 inch larger than your ramekins or gratin dish. Fill ramekins or gratin dish leaving 1/4th inch of space at the top of the ramekin. Bake at 375F/190C for 8ish minutes until pastry is lightly browned.
