red lentils

tmac7742

Not a stupid Q at all. Can't help you much (We only use split lentils in our veggie soup and never soak them, but pasta sauces are different)
But would like to ask where one can buy "proper" lentils (not the split type) I could only find an organic brand, tiny packets & priced accordingly :-(

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Hi cwal

I use red split lentils in pasta sauces mince dishes and soups in the oven, slow cooker and on the hob. They need no prep at all and as macma says they tend to blend in really well and my family don't even know that they are in most of the dishes. They are great to use to bulk out a huge range of dishes.

tmac7742, you can get proper lentils in the foreign food section in most big supermarkets or in health food shops although I think that the supermarkets are cheaper.

cwal

Thanks all, I shall get cooking!

madnotstupid

When adding them to mince for bolognese or what ever, I put them in after I've browned the mince, just before adding liquid. Sometimes they get a rinse, other times - meh. I'd guesstimate I use a tablespoon per two portions of bolognese as a rough guide?

pigpen

I never soak them.. just sprinkle in what I require.. I do love lentil pat! made with them though.

thenanny2die4

Simple. By the handful, into pretty much any recipe that's "wet" and brown or red. I usually add just before the liquid, but that's not crucial. The most important thing to remember is that they will absorb lots of liquid, so you'll need to add a fair bit more than you normally would, then (if you're cooking in a pan) remember to check liquid levels regularly and give a stir now and then or they can catch on the bottom of the pan.

marmiterulesok

I'd just like to add that probably the cheapest place to get red split lentils (and lots of other things,including big bags of various spices) is a Indian supermarket/cornershop.

MrsE_2

thenanny2die4 wrote: »

Simple. By the handful, into pretty much any recipe that's "wet" and brown or red. I usually add just before the liquid, but that's not crucial. The most important thing to remember is that they will absorb lots of liquid, so you'll need to add a fair bit more than you normally would, then (if you're cooking in a pan) remember to check liquid levels regularly and give a stir now and then or they can catch on the bottom of the pan.

I've always cooked them first, I didn't realise you could just throw them in!
Duh!
Do they take long to cook this way?

marmiterulesok

MrsE wrote: »

I've always cooked them first, I didn't realise you could just throw them in!
Duh!
Do they take long to cook this way?

I would say about 20-30 minutes.

sonastin

I tend to boil them in a separate pan first then chuck them in. No real reason for doing so other than there's so much scum on the top of the pan they boil in on their own - I don't know what it is and I don't like the idea of stirring it into whatever I'm cooking so prefer to boil them separately for 10 minutes or so, rinse them off with a splash of boiling water and then tip them into the main pan. Happy to hear that this is unnecessary but it's not a logic thing so I'll probably carry on doing it.