Make more of Lentils
The Recycled Cook
By Adrian Sleeman
Make more of Lentils
Here is one of my favourite dishes for using up odds and ends that makes a great alternative to potatoes or rice as a staple food. It can be used as a base for a meal or stand alone as the meal itself.
Lentils originate in Asia and North Africa and are one of our oldest sources of food known to man. This humble relative of the common garden pea is a rich in protein and carbohydrates and is also also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and B vitamins.
There are several different varieties of lentil readily available, most commonly Brown, Red and Green lentils, although Puy and Yellow are stocked in many health and specialist shops.
Which type of lentil you use depends on the kind of dish. They are usually bought dried and it is important to rinse them well before cooking with them. You can soak them to reduce cooking time but to be honest I prefer not to as they absorb so much more flavour that way.
Green and brown lentils are Ideal for warm salads and casseroles as they are form and will retain their shape and stay separate after cooking rather than becoming a soft mush.
Puy lentils are grey-green in colour and get their name from the French region of Le Puy, where they are grown. These are regarded by chefs as the superior variety of lentils which makes them a little more expensive but also makes them a great accompaniment to more expensive ingredients such as fish and game, as well as sausages.
Red split lentils and yellow lentils are much softer varieties which makes them ideal for turning into a rich puree and also perfect for thickening dishes such as soups and casseroles.
I usually start my Lentil dish by frying off some onion, garlic, celery and carrot finely chopped in some oil. Home made flavoured oils such as chilli, garlic or lemon oils can further enhance the taste but avoid using vinegars with lentils as the acidity can destroy a lot of the goodness.
Once the base vegetables are slightly softened and the onion lightly browned toss in the lentils and stir well in the oil. Add your preferred stock and stir again (use approximately 3 times the volume of lentils), then leave to simmer for the appropriate amount of time. As a rough guide to cooking times for lentils is:
Green and Brown lentils: 35 – 45 minutes
Puy lentils: 20 – 25 minutes
Red Split lentils or Yellow Lentils: 15 – 20 minutes
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| Red lentils |
It is at this point in the cooking that you can really bring in the flavours from all over the world into your lentil dish, adding any combination of herbs and spices. By adding a mix of herbs, spices and pickles you can create flavours from all over the world , such as Morocco (Raas al Hanut and pickled lemons), India (Garam massala, coriander and chilli), Spain (Pimienton, garlic and olives) or just simply season with sea salt and black pepper and allow the flavours of your homemade stock to bring the flavours to life.
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| Confit of Quail on lentils |
Once cooked the lentil dish can either be served as a side dish alongside dishes such as Curry or Tagine, a stand alone dish full of vegetables and fresh flavours or as a base for a wide variety meat and fish dishes.
Sausages, Confit, Chicken, Duck, Tuna steaks or anything else that takes your fancy make good toppings to this dish.
In fact you don't even need to serve them with anything else, they taste pretty good alone
Once cooked any leftover lentils can be left to cool completely and then refrozen to be reused in yet another dish. I have found that adding a couple of spoons of curry paste makes a great alternative to Dal as an accompanying dish.
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| Dal |
The word Dal comes from the Sanskrit meaning to split rather than the dish itself and refers to the various dried split pulses that are used such as lentils, pidgeon peas, mung beans or even kidney beans.
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