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How to Cook Lentils

Today I take you briefly to Colombia and show you the best way to cook lentils – something my family has always loved.We eat lentils at home at least once a week. They are so good and nutritious, it’s something you can even give to your baby (but lay off on the salt).

Lentils are a type of dried beans and member of the legume family, that are easy to cook and prepare. Their flavors depend largely on other foods and seasonings cooked they are cooked together with. They are slightly nutty in texture and are VERY nutritious.

Lentils are a great source of molybdenum, a valuable mineral required for the activity of at least seven enzymes in the human body, folate, and fiber. With that nutritional value, this, for me, is the best way to cook lentils.

Ingredients for 39 servings:

2 pound dried brown lentils

2 pound

Dried brown lentils

3 carrots, halved lengthwise

3

Carrots, halved lengthwise

2 tomatoes, halved

2

Tomatoes, halved

2 yellow onions, halved

2

Yellow onions, halved

2 scallions, green part too, optional

2

Scallions, green part too, optional

2 garlic cloves

2

Garlic cloves

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2

Red bell pepper

2 cilantro sprigs

2

Cilantro sprigs

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon

Salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon

Pepper

3 cups water for each cup of lentil

3 cups

Water for each cup of lentil

  1. 2 pound dried brown lentils

  2. 3 carrots, halved lengthwise

  3. 2 tomatoes, halved

  4. 2 yellow onions, halved

  5. 2 scallions, green part too, optional

  6. 2 garlic cloves

  7. 1/2 red bell pepper

  8. 2 cilantro springs

  9. 2 teaspoon salt

  10. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  11. 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  12. 3 cups water for each cup of lentil

Instructions:

  1. Place lentils and carrots in the bottom of the pot. Cover with 4 cups of water or enough water to cover and go ½ inch above the lentils.

  2. Place the rack or the steaming platter over the lentils. Add all the rest of the ingredients except salt on this rack or plate. Close the steam pressure cooker and cook for 8 minutes in medium. Allow the cooker to rest 8 minutes more, closed, and it will let out most of the steam slowly this is called the warm stage.

  3. Remove the vegetables on the steam rack and transfer them to a blender container. Also, remove the carrot from within the lentils and transfer them to the blender with 1 cup of liquid and 1/2 cup of lentils. Add the salt now to the blender too. Blend to puree.

    lentils step

  4. Transfer back to the pot, mix and serve.

  5. To make a paste or sauce (and to hide the veggies from the kids!), put the vegetables in a blender and blend with some of the lentils.

  6. If you want a protein-packed, fiber-rich dish, a vegetarian or someone starting a healthy eating habit, then start cooking lentils! You can have it with some rice or salad, and I promise you’ll say you’ve never had lentils this good!.

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If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #CookingwithPachi We love to see your creations on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter!

Hi, I'm Chef Pachi

Chef Coach, Food Nutritionist and Cook in Love with Latin Food, Author of six cookbooks. 40+ years of Experience in the Food Industry & Nutrition

...& the Science of Food

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