Lentil Confusion

Katy83

Hi all,

I have a question about lentils - apologies if it has been asked before. I did search but couldn't find anything...

Where do you buy lentils? I've seen them in tesco but is there anywhere cheaper to get them?

Also what is the best kind to buy? I know you can get red ones but are there others that are better for bulking out etc.?

Do you need to soak them first?

Thanks - this board is amazing, I love it!

CCP

If you just want them for adding to things like bolognese sauce to bulk it out, then red lentils are the ones to go for. You can buy them in most supermarkets but I find the cheapest place to get them is my local Asian food shop - you can get a huge bag for under £1 (or you could last time I bought them - I ended up with so many I've only just finished the bag after more than a year!).

Other types of lentils tend to have a more lentil-y flavour - which is fine if that's what you want (sausage and green lentil casserole is wonderful), but not so good for bulking out other things.

Hope that helps!

ChocClare

I was just going to answer this but CCP beat me to it! Asian supermarkets are great for this sort of thing - much cheaper than mainstream supermarkets.

And... you don't need to soak lentils.

Seakay

See if you can borrow a copy of The Bean Book by Rose Elliot from your local library - ask if you can't see it they might order it for you.
It is in print http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bean-Book-Essential-Vegetarian-Collection/dp/0722539479/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/279-8521508-7599016
and would give you a good idea of what sort of lentils and other pulses there are, what they can be used for and how to prepare them.
It won't necessarily tell you where to buy them, apart from Asian supply shops then health food shops can be cheaper than mainstream supermarkets, and will certainly have more variety.

Katy83

Thanks everyone - I'm going to take a wander down to the Asian supermarket later and see what they've got.

Thanks for the book recommendation Seakay!