Lentils no longer the cheapest option!

gilda

Bulking out meals with lentils:

The price increases on lentils have been mentioned many times over the last year. At over £1 for 500g they are no longer the cheapest way to eke out meals.

I’ve switched to dried split peas at 57p/500g and dried chick peas at 49p/500g for my “cheap protein” meal extender.

The split peas cook in the same time as lentils IF you soak them overnight first.

Chick peas take a bit longer but OS is all about planning and using a bit of your free time to save money.

Look out for soya beans too. They are bursting with protein at over 30g per 100g I can get them for £2.20 per kilo at my local Chinese supermarket.

milosmum59

Good advice Gilda. If you use a pressure cooker for your chick peas they only take about 15 mins to cook and they are so tasty and cheap.
I still soak them overnight first though.
As you say Gilda OS is all about planning.

thriftlady_2

The other option is not to bulk out meat with lentils but to have less meat and more vegetarian meals. A much nicer way of eating lentils IMO anyway.

This week we are having onion bhajis, split pea dhal and rice;)

OrkneyStar

thriftlady wrote: »

The other option is not to bulk out meat with lentils but to have less meat and more vegetarian meals. A much nicer way of eating lentils IMO anyway.

This week we are having onion bhajis, split pea dhal and rice;)

Exactly. Lentil and carrot soup is yummy (esp with nice bread), can be made cheaply and can also be spiced up a bit by adding red peppers or some passata/tinnned toms, spices etc.
I also like chicken and lentil curry, lentil dhal etc.
I would love the split pea dhal recipe too thriftlady, if you don't mind.
Mince can also be bulked out with carrots and onions (and other veg too if you fancy).....both of which can be got fairly cheaply these days.
hth

samandsheryl

Hi there. Bit of a novice in the kitchen but love both Lentils and Curry. Is it possible to just throw in a handfull of lentils when cooking a curry or is it likely to be disgusting / not cooked properly?

Thanks for any help!
Sam

Olliebeak

For some reason Asda are only doing Organic Lentils at the moment - have done for the past 18mths or so - heaven only knows why .

I just keep my eyes open wherever I go to see if I can get them cheaper than £1 a bag. Always worth checking B&M Bargains and HomeBargains.

thriftlady_2

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I would love the split pea dhal recipe too thriftlady, if you don't mind.

i haven't made it before. It is from the Economy Gastronomy cookbook wherethey call it Tarka Dhal.

You simply fry a lot of garlic (5 cloves) with 1 tsp spices like cumin, coriander, mustard seeds or cardamom in some oil. Then you add 250g split peas (it doesn't sy to, but I shall soak them overnight first). Then add about 750ml of water, bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 35-45 mins. Make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom once the water has been absorbed. You should end up with a thick mush of spicy peas. I would advise a good heavy bottomed pan for this.

Chell

There is a Dahl recipe on the forum somewhere (in a thread about cooking a meal for under £5), it is lovely. I make it for DH and freeze it in portions for him to take to work for his lunch.

Found it:

YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND COCONUT DHAL

Ingredients

1 sachet creamed coconut £0.10 (Pataks sachets x 4 £0.38)
600ml veg stock (one cube) £0.02 (Tesco 10 Value Veg Stock Cubes £0.19)
250g yellow split peas £0.20 (Tesco Yellow Split Peas 500g £0.39)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
2 cloves crushed garlic £0.05 (Tesco Garlic each £0.35)
2 onions finely chopped £0.08 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
1tsp garam masala £0.05 (Tesco Garam Masala Spice Blend 38g £0.85)
1tsp ground turmeric £0.04 (Tesco Ground Turmeric 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground cumin £0.04 (Tesco Ground Cumin 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground coriander £0.04 (Tesco Ground Coriander36g £0.68)
2tbsp cooking oil £0.03 (Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1 Litre £0.98)

TOTAL £0.76

Instructions

Gently fry the onion, ginger and garlic until soft. Add the spices and fry for a minute, then add the yellow split peas and cook for another minute. Add the stock and coconut and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 50 minutes until the peas are soft but not mushy. If the mixture gets too dry during cooking add some more water.

gilda

Totally agree with the “less meat “comments. I eat fish /meat 2-3 times a week .

Peas beans and lentils deserve better treatment than “chuck a handful into mince”

I made a nice green bean, mushroom and soya bean curry at the weekend – bursting with protein worth the time it takes to soak and cook a batch.

wizk1

Olliebeak wrote: »

For some reason Asda are only doing Organic Lentils at the moment - have done for the past 18mths or so - heaven only knows why .

So it gives them a reason to charge exorbitant amounts for such basic foods.

thriftlady_2

Chell wrote: »

There is a Dahl recipe on the forum somewhere (in a thread about cooking a meal for under £5), it is lovely. I make it for DH and freeze it in portions for him to take to work for his lunch.

.

I'd forgotten about this one, thanks Chell. I like the sound of this better -it's got coconut in;)