Red lentil

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About Red lentil
Wikipedia Article About Red Lentil on Wikipedia

A variety of lentils exist with colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. The colours of the seeds when removed from the pods also vary, and there are large and small varieties. They are sold in many forms, with or without the pods, whole or split.

Preparing Red lentil

 * Lentils are a natural in soups and stews and also make a great cold salad.
 * Lentils need no pre-soaking and cook much more quickly than other dried legumes.
 * Acidic ingredients such as wine or tomatoes can lengthen cooking time. You may wish to add these ingredients after the lentils have become tender.
 * The high protein content in lentils makes them an excellent meat substitute.

Cooking Red lentil
To cook lentils, simply pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, rinse, and drain. Cover with water or broth and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (to aid in digestion). Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Depending on the variety and age, cooking time may take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour.


 * When using a pressure cooker to cook lentils, add a teaspoon of oil to keep the scum from blocking the safety valve.
 * Salt added to the cooking water will toughen the beans. Add salt once the lentils are completely cooked.
 * Lentils should be liberally seasoned.
 * Older lentils will take longer to cook because they have lost more moisture. Do not mix newly-purchased lentils with old ones. They will cook unevenly.

Measurements

 * 1 cup dry lentils = 2 to 2½ cups cooked.
 * 1 pound dried lentils = 2¼ cups dry.
 * 1 pound dried lentils = 4 servings.
 * 1 pound dried lentils = 5 cups cooked.