Unfortunately, lentils are not very common, largely due to lack of knowledge of recipes and features.

Some of the most popular varieties in the world can be conditionally divided into green, red and brown lentils.

Yes, very simple, much simpler than other legumes.

The colors of lentils differ in cooking time: green - it cooks a little longer, but practically does not boil. Red and brown cook much faster: dipped in boiling water, such lentils will cook in 20-25 minutes. Lentils, unlike their relatives peas and beans, do not need to be soaked. When cooking, it is not salted, like all legumes, since salt will slow down the process.

Before you start cooking lentils, you need to sort it out, rinse in several waters. Cook by adding twice as much water: 2 cups of water per glass of lentils. During cooking, stir the lentils a couple of times. There are no special tricks in cooking, but the result is unexpected.

No. 1. The simplest lentils are lentil soup.

Very nutritious and nutritious soups with this product are prepared very simply, according to the usual "soup" scheme: send chopped potatoes and picked and washed lentils to the pan, pour water (not bad - boiling water). While the base is cooked, make a frying of onions and carrots, a tomato is welcome, but does not dominate. When potatoes are ready (about 15 minutes from the start of boiling) add onions and carrots, spices, including salt and pepper. And that’s all! When serving - sprinkle with herbs. You can serve with croutons, but without them it’s not bad.

Soups are very diverse by adding other ingredients, for example, pumpkin pre-fried with onions and carrots, pickles or tomatoes (preferably green and strong), all kinds of smoked meats, sausages, of course - natural meat, leeks, cheese. Listing can take up a lot of space and time. It all depends on the imagination and capabilities of the hostess.

No. 2. for the second courses.

The basis of the main dishes is almost always boiled lentils, which, when ready, are thrown into a colander, allowed to drain water, and then seasoned to taste, stewed with other components, baked, that is, brought to complete readiness.

It is good to cook lentils for second courses by adding onions (chopped or whole), garlic (preferably whole), herbs tied in a bunch, and spices that you like more. Priesthood occurs when lentils are almost ready. We filter out the liquid and fantasize.

A good, very simple recipe for cooking lentils: fry a few sausages (slicing - which one you like), you can add bacon or bacon, toss the lentils into the pan and simmer slightly under a lid over low heat. At the end, you can add cream or sour cream, or you can do without them. As a variety: this dish perfectly perceives sweet and sour berries and fruits, for example, plum, cherry plum, currants, acquiring a completely unusual taste and appearance.

Another simple recipe for cooking lentils: mix the finished product with fried onions, a clove of garlic, passed through a press, spices to taste, form cutlets, roll in flour (preferably in a blender) and fry until brown. With chili or tartar sauce - it’s great both cold and hot.

Lentils with meat can take a dominant place on the table. It is better to bring the meat in advance almost completely ready, then add the lentils.

Sprinkle the flour with the legs, place in a thick-walled bowl (such as a cauldron or duckweed), where there is already a finely chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic, pour water or broth and cook over low heat for about 1 hour after boiling. The so-called languishing mutton. After an hour, open, fill in lentils (4 legs - 300 grams), add tomatoes - fresh or stewed, spices, salt, you can put or just fried, red bell pepper and cook for another 30 minutes under the lid over low heat. At the very end, sprinkle with plenty of chopped parsley. Just a couple of minutes - and the smell will drive anyone who comes close to such a dish crazy!

With pork or beef, the procedure is the same: almost finished meat plus lentils plus additives from the master mistress - and simmer over low heat until cooked.

As an additive, mushrooms are perfect: fried, stewed, with and without onions, mushrooms perfectly shade lentils.

No. 3. Lentils in salads.

For salads, green (French) lentils are perfect, it practically does not boil and perfectly harmonizes with other ingredients.

Boiled green lentils resemble coins. Therefore, here is the recipe for "Money Salad", which can be prepared for any reason (and without it).

Boil a glass of green lentils (see previous recipes). A handful of dried apricots - steam, cut into strips and fry with one onion in vegetable oil. Grind a handful of walnuts. In a pan with onions and dried apricots add strained lentils, nuts, salt, pepper, spices to taste, slightly grind under a tightly closed lid (4-5 minutes). Cool. Salad with "coins" is ready!

With the current availability of information, everyone can choose their own recipe for cooking lentils, this undeservedly forgotten great product!

Legumes are often called "vegetable meat." And not in vain! Beans, beans, lentils, and peas are rich in folic acid, flavonoids, calcium, magnesium, and carbohydrates. Their protein in chemical composition is very similar to meat protein. Legumes are an excellent choice for those who follow a diet or a healthy diet.

Green Lentil Dishes

There are several types of lentils. Brown is mainly used in the preparation of salads, as during heat treatment it gives a persistent smell of nuts. Red is characteristic of Asian dishes; it has a spicy taste and a characteristic aroma. In Russian cuisine, red is used mainly in mashed potatoes or soups. Green lentils - it is also called French or “Puy” - can be an independent dish, a side dish or a salad base.

In Germany, lentils are an indispensable dish on the Christmas table, and in China and India they eat no less than rice

Lentil stew

Prepare a delicious dish - stew with green lentils. You will need: - 2 cups of green lentils; - 2 tablespoons olive oil; - 2 tomatoes; - 1 young carrot; - 2 onions.

Put a pot of water on the fire. While the water is boiling, sort through the lentils and rinse in running water. Soaking is not necessary.

Dip the fruits in boiling water. Be sure to turn down the heat, the fruits should not so much cook as they languish. Note 25 minutes. Do not forget to stir. After the time has passed, try the fruit: if the core is hard, salt, cover and hold for another 5 minutes.

When the lentils soften, but do not lose their shape, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rosemary. Cover and set aside.

Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, onions, chop the young carrots. Dip the vegetables in a well-heated pan, after pouring vegetable oil into it. Please note that you need to salt the oil. Passer vegetables. Tomatoes will give a plentiful juice, it must be evaporated, then put the prepared lentils in a pan with vegetables and mix everything - the dish is ready.

Lentil soup

You will need: - 300 g of beef, - 1 cup of green lentils, - 1 onion, - 1 medium-sized tomato.

Boil the meat until tender and strain the broth. Slice and fry the onion and tomato. Bring the broth to a boil, pour a glass of green lentils and cook for 20 minutes. Season the broth with cooked vegetables, add the chopped meat and salt. Lentil soup is ready.

Tasty and healthy!

Lentils also have very specific remedies. Her decoction is recommended for those suffering from cholelithiasis and hypertension, thanks to the potassium content, it perfectly restores the vascular activity of the body.

Lentil porridge is useful for those who have problems with the genitourinary system, ulcers and colitis. Legumes are also useful for nervous people: the minerals contained in the fruits soothe the nervous system and have a relaxing effect on the body.

Lentils are a product that contains a large amount of vegetable protein. Compared to other legumes, it contains much less sulfuric amino acids, tryptophan, fats, but can “boast” a lot of iron, folic acid and soluble fiber (dietary fiber). Lentils were widespread in Ancient Russia, but with the popularization of the potatoes that Peter I brought to the country, the people lost the culture of consumption of this healthy plant. Now interest in low-calorie cereals is reviving, because dishes from it contribute to weight loss.

What is useful lentils for weight loss

In an effort to improve the mind and body, people began to pay more attention to proper nutrition, so at the peak of popularity all kinds of cereals. The benefits of lentils to the human body are enormous: the fat content is almost zero, but there are a lot of useful vitamins and minerals (sulfur, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, potassium, calcium). This cereal lowers blood glucose, so it is recommended to include it in the menu of diabetics.

Lentils are able to remove toxins from the body, normalize the genitourinary system, stimulate metabolism, increase metabolism and immunity, and lentil broth is useful for urolithiasis. Due to the high serotonin content, lentil dishes prevent the development of depression. During growth, the cereal does not absorb toxins, radionuclides and nitrates from the soil, so it is an environmentally friendly food product. Lentil fruits retain useful properties during processing: boiling, drying, preservation.

As for the harm, people suffering from increased gas formation should limit the consumption of lentils, since its excessive consumption leads to flatulence, like all legumes. Also, cereal is rich in vegetable proteins, which in large quantities lead to digestion. Remember that the healing secrets of lentils are contained in its proper preparation, and how to cook lentils for weight loss, you will learn.

Calorie content and nutritional value

Which lentil is better to choose

Nutritional foods for weight loss should be low in calories, therefore, lentils are suitable for weight loss in the first place. But on the shelves of grocery stores we often find several varieties of this cereal, so when choosing it is easy to encounter difficulties. Lentils differ in appearance and taste:

1. Brown lentils possesses a nutty flavor and is suitable for thick soup and slimming soups;
2. The red variety has a spicy taste, quickly boils and is great in cereals that even a true gourmet will like;
3. Green lentils is the owner of a pungent taste, so it is suitable for vegetable salads for weight loss;
4. "Beluga" is a universal variety with shiny black grains and a sharp taste, which is used for cooking lentils for weight loss.

How to cook lentils for weight loss

Vegetarians use lentils as a substitute for meat, because it contains the same amount of protein, but much less calorie content. During weight loss, the body also needs easily digestible protein and complex carbohydrates, so these beans are used in the diet menu, especially since they are harmoniously combined with all food products.

However, many do not know how much to cook lentils in the soup until cooked in time. The process of preparing this bean cereal is simple: you need to cook in water without salt in a proportion of 1 cup to 2 cups of water. Add lentils should already be in boiling water, and cook with the lid closed for 15 minutes. After cooking, lentil porridge throw in a colander to remove excess fluid. If you overdo the lentils in water, you will get mashed potatoes.

Simple lentil recipes

Dishes for weight loss from lentils delight in taste and energize for the whole day. Refined lentil dishes guard the slender figure and health. They are cooked in a double boiler, slow cooker, in the oven and on the stove, and most importantly - they do not require much culinary experience, therefore they are subject to even a novice cook. Let's see what dishes can be prepared from lentils, known for their usefulness and low calorie content.

Diet soup

Lentil soup - a slimming dish that is suitable for lunch and for a light dinner during the diet. To make the soup, you need red lentils, which quickly boil. With the help of such a soup it is easy to get rid of 2-3 kilos per week.

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of lentils;
• one onion;
• one tablespoon tomato. pastes;
• 2 tbsp rice;
• one tsp olive oil;
• spices at your discretion.

Step by step cooking:

1. Peel the onion, cut into cubes.
2. Fry in olive oil until soft.
3. Add tomato paste, stew for 3 minutes.
4. Put lentils and rice in boiling water for 10 minutes, cook for a slow. fire;
5. Add onions to the finished products in tomato, spices, bring to a boil, then serve.

Lentil porridge in a slow cooker

Nutritionists recommend that when you lose weight, eat lentil porridge without salt every morning on an empty stomach to remove bad cholesterol from the body and improve intestinal motor function. It is useful for problems with the urinary organs, and for improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system. It remains only to find out how to cook lentils in a slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 250 g of red lentils;
• one carrot;
• one onion;
• one liter of water;
• two cloves of garlic;
• spices to discretion.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Wash the lentils, pour into the bowl of the crock-pot, fill with water or broth (vegetable or chicken), put the “Stew” program for 30 minutes.
2. Peel the vegetables, cut into cubes, pour into the bowl.
3. Extend the program for another 10 minutes.
4. Add chopped garlic to the dish.
5. Let the porridge brew for another 10 minutes. Bon Appetit!

Mashed potatoes

If you plan to prepare a diet puree, then red or black lentils are suitable for these purposes. This product does not require pre-soaking, as other legumes and more than peas or beans are suitable for weight loss. In addition, lentil puree is very nutritious, so with its help it is easy to lose extra pounds without starving.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils;
• a couple of carrots;
• one onion;
• one tablespoon of oil;
• spices as per discretion.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Rinse legumes, pour into boiling water, cook over low heat until soft.
2. Peel the onions and carrots, chop finely, pass in the oil for 1-2 minutes.
3. In the cooked lentils, add the boil for another 5 minutes, then add the spices and leave to cool.
4. Send the whole mass to a blender, beat to a thick consistency.

Warm salad

For a warm diet salad you will need green lentils, characterized in that it retains its shape during heat treatment, but is cooked much longer than red - 1.5 hours. The green variety contains even more fiber than others, which is why suitable slimming dishes come out of it. We offer a healthy warm salad with pumpkin, cheese and lentils.

Ingredients:

• 200 g boiled green lentils;
• 300 g of fresh pumpkin;
• 200 g feta cheese;
• 1 tsp dry provence herbs;
• rast. oil, spices.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Cut the pumpkin into cubes, add the Provence herbs, lightly fry on the rast. oil.
2. Combine the pumpkin with the ready-made green lentils, pour the rast. butter, add spices.
3. Top with diced soft feta cheese. Gorgeous diet dish for weight loss is ready!

Lentil Meatballs

Lentils recently appeared on the tables of our compatriots, but everyone managed to make sure that this is a universal product. It is suitable as a main ingredient for first courses, as a side dish, and instead of meat food. Discover lentil meatballs, and they will become frequent "guests" on your table with a diet for weight loss.

Ingredients:

• 200 g lentils;
• two tablespoons ground walnuts;
• 3 tooth. garlic
• 4 tbsp finely ground crackers;
• one egg;
• 2 tbsp rast. oils;
• spices as per discretion.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Pour the washed lentils with water, boil, then shake or beat on a blender until smooth.
2. Grate the garlic on a grater, add crackers, nuts to it, pour the mixture into lentil puree.
3. Add spices, salt, egg and olive oil to the puree and mix thoroughly.
4. Shape the round meatballs.
5. Lightly fry them on the rast. oil, then serve with sauce and garnish.

Braised Lentils with Vegetables

In a diet for weight loss, lentils are used in any form and combination. It complements mushrooms, meat, other high-calorie foods and can even replace bread. But best of all, this bean cereal combines with vegetables, and we will tell you how to cook this dish deliciously.

Ingredients:

• 200 g of red lentils;
• two bell peppers;
• one red hot pepper;
• one onion;
• three tomatoes;
• one carrot;
• a bunch of cilantro or parsley;
• two tooth. garlic
• olive oil, spices.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Pour the washed lentils with water, boil until tender.
2. Fry the chopped onion on a raster. oil until transparent.
3. Grind the garlic in any way, bolg. dice pepper and carrots.
4. Add chopped vegetables to the onion, sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Finely chop the tomatoes, add to the vegetable frying, stew for another 5 minutes.
6. Put the lentils into the vegetables, add spices, finely chopped herbs, stew all together for 2 minutes.
7. Use lentils with vegetables as an independent dish for losing weight or instead of a side dish.

Lentil cakes

A very tasty dish is lentil cakes. They will replace bread when losing weight and are suitable as a snack in the diet menu. Lentil dough comes out tender and fragrant - judge for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 200 g lentils;
• 300 g flour;
• 7 g of fresh yeast;
• 3 tbsp water;
• 3 tbsp rast. oils;
• one onion;
• one and a half tsp Sahara;
• 1 tsp salts;
• spices as per discretion.

Recipe for cooking:

1. Boil the lentils until tender, drain the water, chop on a blender.
2. Mix yeast, sugar, flour with warm water, then put in heat for 15 minutes to make the dough rise.
3. Add lentil puree and rast. oil in a dough, mix, leave in a warm place until it rises (2-3 hours).
4. Fry chopped onions, add to the dough.
5. Then pour the flour in several stages, stirring constantly.
6. Knead the dough, divide into 6 parts, form cakes.
7. Put on a baking sheet, bake at 180 C until golden brown (20-30 minutes).

Contraindications for taking lentil dishes

Lentils have few contraindications, but they are. Do not use lentil meals for weight loss with extensive joint damage and urinary tract dyskinesia. You will harm yourself if you abuse this bean crop for kidney diseases, because lentil seeds contribute to the formation of stones in these organs. But this does not mean that lentils are completely contraindicated, the main thing to have in all measure.

Lentil diet options

According to slimming reviews, lentil diet provides amazingly effective weight loss. Nutritionists are allowed to adhere to it for up to a month, during which it is easy to get rid of 10 -15 kg. So lentils do not become boring, and weight loss is easier, experts advise eating one serving a day, diluting the dish with other dietary products. There are two options for lentil diets: hard (extreme) and sparing (classic).

In the first embodiment, you will have to eat only lentil porridge daily without salt, oil and seasoning for 5 days. For dinner, you can drink a glass of kefir with minimal fat content. The result of such a diet is about 1 kg per day. The classic version is more diverse. For a week, eat any lentil meal, low-fat yogurt, diet cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables, whole grain toast, green tea with honey. The classic lentil diet is so balanced that it is useful for losing weight both for pregnant women and people with diabetes.

One of the titled queens of dietary and wholesome nutrition is lentils. This is the most ancient type of bean; people enjoy eating it since the Bronze Age, i.e. 4000 BC

This product is rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Vegetarians equate it with meat due to the high content of vegetable protein in it.

This type of cereal has an amazing property: lentils do not absorb and do not accumulate harmful toxic substances in the soil, so it can be safely called an environmentally friendly product.

This product is also an excellent source of iron. In order for this iron to be well absorbed, it must be served with a salad of greens and fresh vegetables rich in vitamin C. This cereal also contributes to the production of serotonin - the hormone of joy.

You can read a lot about the amazing beneficial properties of lentils, however, remember that this product is difficult to absorb by the body. With improper preparation, a healthy dish can cause bloating and disruption of the digestive tract.

How to avoid negative consequences? It is necessary to pre-soak the grains in water for several hours, just in ordinary cold water, without salt or soda.

Soaking time depends on how much time has passed since the harvest. If you bought lentils in a store, soak them with water at least for the night. In the process of soaking, the grains absorb water and increase in size by almost two times. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the grains and set to cook on a slow fire.

Water should cover the grits two centimeters (about two fingers). During cooking, you can add a little seasoning, such as bay leaf, and olive oil.

How to make a delicious lentil garnish

Lentils - a very nutritious product, a feeling of satiety and energy for a productive day are guaranteed. And also, with a pleasant bonus, this product helps to improve mood and fight depression due to the content of tryptophan, which in the body turns into serotonin.

So, cook!

• Lentils - 300 gr.
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Mustard - 10 gr.
• Vegetable oil - 30 ml.
• Red wine or apple vinegar - 20 ml.
• Clove - 1 stick
• Bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Green onion - 5 pcs.
• Parsley - to taste
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
• Nuts - 50 gr.

Below you can watch a detailed video of the recipe for cooking:

1. Wash the pre-soaked lentils and cook in a saucepan along with 1 whole onion, bay leaf and cloves for 35 minutes.

2. After 35 minutes, turn off the heat under the pan, take out the onions, bay leaf and cloves, and leave the side dish to cool.

3. Finely chop the second onion, green onion feathers and parsley.

4. Prepare the sauce: mix the prepared mustard with vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and butter.

5. Mix lentils with chopped onions and herbs. Add chopped nuts and cooked sauce.

6. Mix and eat a delicious dish.

Cooking Recipe

A miracle of technology - a slow cooker helps us to cook tasty and healthy for ourselves and our family. In a slow cooker, dishes are prepared as in a Russian oven, when all the ingredients were immediately put in a pot, covered with a lid and sent to languish in the oven.

In this recipe in a slow cooker we will cook lentils with mushrooms, the dish turns out to be very soft, tender and contains a lot of protein.

For cooking, we need:

• Red lentils - 280 gr.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Champignons - 250 gr.
• Hot water - 480 ml.
• Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon
• Salt - 1 tsp

1. Chop the onion finely.

2. Cut champignons with beautiful plates.

3. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl. Select the mode in the menu “Fry” and “vegetables”, and press “start”.

4. We wait a little for the oil to heat up and put mushrooms with onions in the bowl of the multicooker for frying for 7 minutes.

5. Turn off the frying mode and add the lentils washed several times in the bowl.

Secret: Rinse the lentils several times so that all the foam leaves.

6. Pour hot water into the multicooker, add salt, mix.

Considering that when cooking in a slow cooker, water does not evaporate, add a little less water than is written in the instructions on the package.

7. Turn on the "cereal" mode for 25 minutes and "start". If you use green lentils, it will take you 40 minutes to cook it.

8. At the end of the cooking time, we get the tender, not boiled lentils with mushrooms and treat relatives.

This dish is especially useful during fasting or for athletes.

Convenience of cooking in a slow cooker in the compactness of the process itself: oil is not sprayed, like in a pan, everything is cooked in one closed dish. Put and do your own thing.

We give the side dish a little brew and eat. Bon Appetit!

Delicious Lentil Diet Recipe

There are several types of lentils: red, green and brown. Red is cooked the fastest, about 20 minutes, but it is also boiled stronger than the rest, therefore it is better suited for making mashed potatoes or soup.

Green is not ripe brown. Therefore, it is cooked longer than others and retains its shape better. You need to cook it for at least 1 hour, it is better to use it for salads or side dishes.

Brown is a fully ripened green, has a light nutty flavor, cooks pretty quickly 25 minutes. It also boils.

• Lentils - 1 cup
• Lime or lemon juice - 1/2 pcs.
• Ginger - 1 cm.
• Onion or leek - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 2 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 4 pcs.
• Salt, pepper, sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Greens, basil, oregano

Unfortunately, legumes can cause discomfort in the digestive tract, so as to avoid them, soak the lentils at night with cold water, as described above, then it will be better absorbed by your body and will not cause gas formation.

1. We wash the grains several times and cook on the fire for 20-30 minutes, depending on its variety. Groats soaked at nightcooked faster.

2. Pour the tomatoes with hot water to peel them off and grate them. You can use frozen or canned tomatoes, tomato juice, or pasta.

3. Add chopped garlic, lime juice, salt, sugar, oregano, basil to grated tomatoes or pasta.

4. Grind onions and ginger and fry in oil in a pan, stirring constantly. After 2 minutes, add carrots to the panchopped into thin strips.

5. Pour a mixture of tomatoes and spices into the pan, pepper and simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.

6. Add boiled lentils to the pan, add herbs, simmer another 5 minutes.

7. The finished dish is served with herbs.Bon Appetit!

Tasty recipe with vegetables and smoked sausage

In this recipe we will cook lentils with vegetables. This is an excellent balanced dish: nutritious, high in vegetable protein, rich in vitamins and minerals. In combination with vegetables, the dishes from this bean are saturated and light, similar to vegetable stew.

Beans are very tasty combined with smoked meats. In this recipe, we will add a little smoked sausage to the pan with a side dish.

For cooking, we need:

• Lentils - 300 gr.
• Green pepper - 1 pc.
• Red pepper - 1 pc.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Tomato - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Paprika, pepper, salt - to taste
• Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Smoked sausage - 100 gr.

1. Onion, garlic, pepper, carrots chopped with a knife.

2. Scald the tomato with hot water, remove the skin, finely chop.

3. Pour vegetable oil into the pan and, in turn, pour out onions and carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and paprika with an interval of 2 minutes. At the end, add the washed soaked lentils.

4. Add hot water to the pan so that it covers the lentils with two fingers.

5. 5 minutes before cooking, add smoked sausage to the pan,she will add flavor and piquancy to the dish.

6. Before serving, sprinkle the finished dish with herbs.   Bon Appetit!

Lentils with onions and carrots

A very simple and delicious recipe for a side dish with carrots and onions. For an appetizing smell, add garlic.

For cooking, we need:

• Green lentils - 400 gr.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Olive oil

1. Finely chop the onions and carrots and stew in a high frying pan in olive oil.

2. Pour the soaked lentils into the pan and add water two fingers above the cereal.

3. Simmer for about an hour. Salt at the end of cooking.

Below you can watch a detailed video of the recipe for cooking.

As part of this bean:

• Folic acid contains 120% of the daily human intake.
• Phosphorus to strengthen teeth and bones.
• A large amount of vegetable protein.
• Low fat content.

Beneficial features:

• Easy to digest.
• Does not accumulate toxic substances from the earth.
• Useful for diabetes, pregnant.
• Lowers cholesterol.
• It is a source of protein.
• Of the contraindications, the property of gas formation should be noted. It is undesirable to use for people with gastrointestinal problems.

How to cook lentils with meat

Lentils go well with chicken, so we offer you a recipe with chicken.

We will use green grains in this recipe because they do not boil mashed potatoes like, for example, red ones.

In this dish we combined vegetable and animal protein, so the food will be very satisfying and quick to prepare. And it will be delicious.

For cooking, we need:

• Green lentils - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Chicken fillet - 200 gr.
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Seasoning for chicken
• Vegetable oil

1. Pour the soaked grains with cold water and cook for about 45 minutes.

Attention: in order for the broth to be more rich, the ingredients must be lowered into cold water so that they heat up and have time to give their aromas and tastes to the broth.

2. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in oil in a preheated pan for a couple of minutes.

3. Finely chop the fillet, mix with seasonings and salt, add to the pan to the onion and garlic, fry until cooked.

4. Pour the finished boiled lentil groats to the finished fried meat. Mix and fry for another 3 minutes.

Tasty garnish recipe with rice and mushrooms

Lenten delicious dish of lentils, rice and mushrooms. In order to ensure that all the ingredients in the dish turn out beautiful and appetizing, we will fry them separately. If you want to simplify the cooking process, you can combine and fry all the vegetables together.

For cooking, we need:

• Green lentils - 70 gr.
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Long-grain rice - 200 gr.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Mushrooms - 400 gr.
• Vegetable oil
• Water - 350 ml.
• Salt pepper
• Kari, turmeric

1. Rinse the soaked green lentils and cook until cooked for about 40 minutes.

2. Rinse several times and leave for 20-40 minutes in water so that starch comes out of it.

3. My mushrooms and, if necessary, clean.

Attention: to beautifully wash the mushrooms, add to them 1 tbsp. spoonful of flour, pour cold water, leave to stand for 5 minutes and then wash.

4. One chopped onion finely and fry in a pan until golden brown.

5. Mushrooms beautifully cut into slices and also fry in oil until golden brown, salt in the end. If you salt the mushrooms at the beginning, they will release the juice and it will turn out not so beautiful.

6. Combine the onions and mushrooms and fry together for 1 minute.

7. Cut the second onion.

Caution: To prevent tears from running out of your eyes when cutting onions, do not cut off the tail of the bulb prematurely.

8. Cut the carrots into thin strips and simmer it together with the second onion in a frying pan in oil. In lightly fried vegetables, add curry and turmeric. These are spices with which rice is always combined. Salt and pepper.

9. Drain the rice and add it to the pan for onions and carrots. Stir so that the whole rice is saturated with oil, then it will not stick together.

10. Add boiled lentils to the pan with vegetables and rice, salt and add the fried mushrooms with onions.

12. Pour the broth into the pan, hoping that for 1 cup of rice you need 2 cups of liquid.

13. Add chopped or whole garlic.

14. Put the pan on medium heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Rice turns friable. Bon Appetit!

Beans, due to their beneficial properties, have long been included in the diet; lentil kernels, from which side dishes and cereals are prepared, are considered especially popular. Given that this bean culture has different varieties, many housewives will undoubtedly have a question: "how to cook lentils"? In fact, there are no difficulties in this, the main thing is to know exactly how much each grade of beans is cooked, and what features of preparation it has.

Not only ordinary cereals can be made from lentil grains. Garnishes prepared on the basis of these legumes are considered equally popular. The technology of creating the dish itself is simple, you just need to decide in advance what kind of lentil it will be prepared from - red, brown, black or green. This will help to quickly make a light low-calorie lunch or dinner.

It is believed that red grains are not suitable for a garnish, since they tend to boil quickly, acquiring the appearance of mashed potatoes. But, nevertheless, the red variety has a pleasant spicy taste, and this is the most important condition in order to prepare such a delicious dish.

Ingredients

• Red lentils - 150 gr.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Meat broth - 100 gr.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves.
• Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l
• Thyme - 2 branches (we use only greens).

Garnish Spices   (put to taste): black pepper, rosemary (dried), chili, paprika (red), salt, turmeric.

How to make a side dish

1. Wash and clean vegetables.
2. Cut the onion into half rings.
3. Three carrots on a fine (or medium) grater.
4. We pour the slices into the pan, pour the vegetables with vegetable oil and fry them for no more than 2-3 minutes, until a light blush. We pass everything on medium heat.
5. Soak lentil red plates in water for several minutes.
6. We make incisions on the surface of the tomatoes, after which we place the fruits in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
7. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut the vegetables into small cubes.
8. We put the tomato slices in a pan with onions and carrots, and continue to pass the vegetables for another 3 minutes over medium heat.
9. Add salt, lentils and meat broth to the sauté. Mix everything and stew vegetables for 2 minutes.
10. Pass the garlic through a press, then put it together with herbs and other spices in a side dish.
11. Finally, we simmer the beans with vegetables for another 5-7 minutes over low heat, after which the dish can be considered ready.

Serve the red lentil garnish hot. It is best to present it along with fish or meat dishes. It is advisable to serve legumes with sauce or ketchup, you can even make dressing for the side dish of the red lentils.

Ingredients

•   - 5 glasses + -
•   - 1.5 cups + -
•   - 1 piece + -
•   - on the tip of the knife + -
•   - 1 piece + -
• — 1 tsp or to taste + -
• — 0.5 tsp or to taste + -
•   - 1-2 tbsp + -
•   - 2 teeth + -
• Thyme - 2 branches + -

How to Cook Lentils Deliciously

It’s easy to make a delicious green variety, the main thing is to know exactly how much to cook the beans so that they do not lose their shape.

Since of all the popular types of this bean culture, green lentils are cooked for the longest time, many housewives avoid it when preparing a side dish. However, green plates to taste are no worse than red and brown varieties, so they can be safely added to vegetable or meat side dishes.

1. A few hours before cooking, we soak the bean grains: pour water into the pan and pour the lentils into it. Water is necessarily salted.
2. In a pan, heat the vegetable oil, then add to it for frying, squeezed under the press, garlic. You can chop the garlic cloves by hand.
3. When after 30 sec. garlic stewed in vegetable oil - reduce the heat to a minimum flame and put a piece of butter in the pan.
4. When the butter has melted, we send the finely chopped carrots and onions into the heated pan. We extinguish the cut until it acquires a pleasant softness and a beautiful transparent color.
5. Lentils, which were previously soaked, we take out of the water as soon as it "swells" and becomes soft. It is important not to overexpose it and to prevent it from losing its form.
6. We put the lentil grains into a pan, add chopped thyme to it (we use only the leaves) and fry everything over high heat. Do not forget to stir the side dish.

Serve the finished dish exceptionally hot. Before serving, you can sprinkle it with fresh finely chopped herbs or aromatic spices. It is not worth it to store boiled lentils for a long time, even as part of the side dish. It is better to eat portions made on the day of preparation.

From this bean variety it is easy to make a delicious dinner for the whole family in just 30 minutes. Brown grains are boiled faster than others, however, in their preparation there are a lot of features, the knowledge of which can not be done. Therefore, how to cook lentils of a dark variety is described in detail in a step-by-step recipe.

Ingredients

• Brown lentils - 1 cup;
• Tomato paste - 3 tbsp. l .;
• Boiled rice (basmati) - 4 glasses;
• Garlic - 3 cloves;
• Red onion - 2 glasses;
• Salt - ¼ tsp;
• Vegetable (or olive) oil - 2 tsp;
• Cilantro (fresh) - ¼ cup;
• Vegetable broth - 3 glasses;
• Spices to taste.

Cooking

1. Soak brown lentils in advance in water.
2. Wash and peel vegetables.
3. Finely chop the onion, garlic and cilantro.
4. In a saucepan over low heat, heat the oil.
5. Add chopped onion to the preheated dishes and simmer it, stirring occasionally. Extinguishing time - 15 minutes.
6. When the onion in the pan softens, add garlic to it, which we also simmer on the fire for 5 minutes.
7. Pour roasting 3 tbsp. l tomato paste, and sprinkle everything on top with spices. It is desirable that the seasoning be sharp, you can immediately use a mixture of spices, for example, Berber. Stew vegetables with seasoning and pasta for another 1 minute.
8. Pour the products with vegetable broth and bring them to a boil over high heat.
9. Once the grains are softened, transfer them to the pan, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.
10. Cooking the lentils until cooked, salt them to taste. After that, mix the prepared beans with boiled rice - and serve the side dish to the table.
11. Laying out the dish in portions, decorate it with cilantro or any other greens.

You can serve a side dish not only with fresh vegetables, but also with fresh or pickled mushrooms, stewed chicken, fish or beef.

Soak

Soak or not

Is lentils soaked before cooking - the most common question among most housewives. There is an opinion that lentil grains are one of the few types of legumes that are not necessary to soak. This is true, but not a single bean grain has been affected by the “bathing” in the water.

It is important not to forget that the lentil plates lying in home bins become dry over time, and therefore they need a fresh sip of water.

What is the time to soak lentils

Another, no less important, question that interests the housewives is how long does it take to soak lentils?

If the ripened grains are several months old, then 8 hours will be enough, but if the lentils lie for six months, or even a year, then the soaking time can be increased to 12-24 hours. The longer the product lies, the more it will soak.

However, it is worth noting that it is not necessary to soak the plates for so long. Sometimes, it is enough to lower the grains into the water for just a few minutes, so that they soften a little and get their original shape.

Calorie table and cooking time of lentils

Not all housewives know well how to cook brown, red, green and black lentils (another name is beluga lentils). One thing is known for sure that they have different cooking times and calories.

To make cooking simple and bring only pleasure - use the table below, which shows the calories of known types of lentils and the time for which they are cooked until cooked.

Now you know how to cook lentils of different varieties. All the secrets for its preparation are easily applied in practice. Prepare a variety of independent dishes from bean grains or add lentils as an additional ingredient in the side dish. Let your cooking be successful and lentil treats amazingly delicious.

Bon Appetit!