23
votes
What lentils did I buy?
Those are standard "brown" (or "grey") lentils; they're what most Americans mean when they say just "lentils". They are called "whole masoor dal" if you're ...
- 65.6k
11
votes
Replacement for Pearl Barley in cottage Pie
Cottage pie is essentially a ground beef stew with mashed potato on top, and barley is a completely optional ingredient in beef stew, so you could leave it out and not worry about replacing it, there'...
- 78k
10
votes
What to do with fermented lentils?
Throw it away, it's spoiled and probably contains several colonies of foodborne illnesses. Sealing food isn't sufficient to stop it going off, you need to refrigerate it or freeze it.
- 78k
7
votes
Should I worry about these green lentils?
That just looks like some chaff from the harvesting and packaging process. It's good practice to always rinse beans before use. Lentils (organic or not) are no exception. Place in a bowl, fill with ...
- 77.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Can I add lentils to a baked chicken-and-vegetable stew?
I would strongly suggest boiling the lentils first and then adding them to the bake or to the semi-finished product.
Keep in mind that when baking at 325 F lentils may easily take 30-60 minutes.
...
- 141
6
votes
Accepted
Substitute for Tomato Paste in Lentil Soup
If this isn't prevented by your health condition, I'd recommend sweet red pepper paste. This is what Turkish folks traditionally use in lentil soup instead of tomato paste, and in my opinion it's ...
- 65.6k
6
votes
This dal makhani recipe has two water discard steps. Any idea why?
It's probably worth following that recipe as written at least to start with, but in general it's not necessary and may not be desirable to discard all of the cooking water.
This recipe discards the ...
- 45.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Cooking vs Soaking Lentils for Falafel
If you want to make "falafel" out of lentils, then you should look to folks who actually make deep-fried lentil balls regularly, and that's Indians. Dal Vada, balls of lentils that are deep ...
- 65.6k
5
votes
Accepted
For what dishes I should wash starch off red lentils?
The main reason why you rinse lentils and beans is to remove debris or shriveled lentils. Also for hygiene reasons, depending on where and what lentils you bought, they might include little stones, ...
- 813
5
votes
I forgot to rinse lentils before adding them to soup. Is the meal still safe to eat?
I can only speak for UK supermarkets and you haven't said where you're from, but our lentils are clean as bought. A typical packet doesn't say to rinse them. With red lentils the only reaosn I can ...
- 45.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Why does rinsing lentils create foam? Is this natural?
Yes, it's perfectly natural. Dust being rinsed off the outer surface of the lentils makes the water more viscous and helps to trap air in the form of small bubbles. In a strainer, the dust would be ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
How do I know the lentils have gone bad?
Dried lentils don't go bad as such if stored sensibly (i.e. dry), but they do go hard and take longer to cook. It's always possible they were stored for some time before you cought them. An ...
- 45.8k
4
votes
Replacement for Pearl Barley in cottage Pie
It seems that the pie is made with properly pre-cooked barley. 15 minutes should be enough for it to get well hydrated, even if the texture can be still a bit al dente at this point. This actually ...
- 141k
4
votes
Accepted
Replacement for Pearl Barley in cottage Pie
The reason to include the barley is to bulk up the filling and use less meat:
all the flavours of a proper beef stew, while the barley reduces the amount of beef needed while still retaining all the ...
- 61.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Can red lentils be used for mujadara?
I think red lentils are just the insides of green/brown lentils. Without the seed coat, they disintegrate very quickly. That’s desirable for some applications but I think it would be a little ...
- 146
3
votes
Lentils and barley used together
Yes to both questions. Lentils and barley can go together quite well in a soup. Here's a recipe for a lentil and barley soup as an example. Compare it to your soup recipe to see if there are any major ...
- 3,148
3
votes
Cooking vs Soaking Lentils for Falafel
I've made "falafel" with chickpeas, black eyed peas, split green peas black turtle beans, split mung beans etc. In each case I used a traditional falafel recipe but with the same amount in ...
- 361
3
votes
Accepted
Why does water color go red when you boil maizes or lentils? Is it bad?
This is probably due to anthocyanins present in the maize and lentils. Despite the possibly worrying sounding 'cyanin', anthocyanins are antioxidants and if anything, beneficial to one's diet. Anyway ...
- 2,396
3
votes
Why do sprouted lentils take longer to cook than soaked lentils?
The biochemistry of the sprouting process is a little beyond me, but essentially the lentil converts stored energy (carbs) and protein into different proteins and fibre.
The new proteins are quite ...
- 11k
3
votes
Accepted
How to I need to treat dried green lentils?
Your suspicion is correct about "far less mass than a chickpea" means you don't need to soak them as much. Chickpeas seem to need lots of soaking, but you don't have to soak lentils at all. I guess ...
- 7,162
3
votes
What is the ratio of baking soda to water for lentils?
None. I have recently discovered that lentils do not require to be soaked prior cooking - and nor baking soda. I have already detailed this in an answer but I am not sure how to find it and link to it....
- 844
3
votes
Accepted
How to counter bitterness in dal recipe
In dal recipes I have made, the lentils and tempering are cooked separately, then combined later. They generally begin by toasting spices (careful, mustard pops, but that is what you want), then ...
- 77.9k
3
votes
Should I boil lentils before adding to curry?
It is common for dal or curry recipes to involve cooking the lentils separately, and then adding them to a fried spice and/or vegetable base. This is particularly common with long-cooking lentils ...
- 65.6k
3
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to approach thermos cooking?
In general, when using a thermal cooker, the basic procedure is this:
Start some water boiling
Bring your soup base to a boil (separately)
Pour the boiled water into your insulated flask
Make your ...
- 82.1k
3
votes
"Don't salt lentils while cooking": true or myth?
I can only answer based on personal experience. I salt my lentils lightly at the beginning of cooking, and have never had an issue with them failing to soften or with the skins being tough. This ...
- 65.6k
2
votes
How to counter bitterness in dal recipe
Mustard seeds are seldom used toasted+powdered in indian style recipes - more commonly they are usually quickly fried in high-eat oil or ghee (popping is supposed to happen - just don't keep a high ...
- 15.3k
2
votes
Accepted
What are the consequences of not rinsing hermetic lentils prior to use?
The only consequence is that you will eat the liquid in which they were. They will taste different with it. Also, if you cook them, they may be more prone to sticking, because of starch and other ...
- 141k
2
votes
How to I need to treat dried green lentils?
Italy here. Therefore I refer to dried lentils commonly found here. We used to "pre- treat" them like soaking in not cold water etc.
This winter I got multiple packs of IGP (protected geographical ...
- 844
2
votes
can you saute lentils with butter (masoor dal)
You should be able to do it, just be careful not using too high a temperature so not to burn the butter.
- 20.5k
2
votes
Are my dried moong dal beans bad?
It does sound strange to me. I always get my lentils and pulses for months and store but never they smelled pungent.
It will have its own characteristic aroma.
If it is rather pungent there should be ...
- 621
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