Lentil dishes are simple and tasty: step-by-step recipes with photos

Lentils are a food product known since ancient times. She began her victorious march around the world from Southeast Asia. In Ancient Egypt, Babylon and Greece, this cereal was held in high esteem. Dishes from green lentils began to be prepared in Rus' in the 14th century. They instantly gained great popularity among the Slavic peoples. Nowadays, this product is undeservedly forgotten. What dishes can be made from green lentils? Recipes: simple and tasty.

General principles

Red lentils (cooks will advise you to prepare them) are a dietary product.

Features and subtleties of its preparation:

Cooked beans satisfy hunger, invigorate the body and saturate it with useful substances.
Dark red granules contain anti-carcinogenic plant elements, rich in zinc, potassium, folic acid, iron, carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium and protein.
Legumes contain tryptophan, which produces serotonin, and a large amount of vital minerals.
Before cooking, the seeds are cleared of debris and poured into boiling water (ratio 1 to 2-2.5). When the composition boils, reduce the heat and open the lid slightly. You need to make sure that the liquid covers the ingredient at all times; if necessary, add water and remove the foam. When the component becomes soft and easily mashed with a fork, it is ready. On average, cooking time takes 30-40 minutes. Leave the finished leguminous crop for 5-10 minutes. under the lid to make it juicier.
Red lentils are one of the first plants to be domesticated by humans. These grains were consumed by Americans during World War II to support the economy; they are also mentioned in the Bible (when Esau gave the birthright to Isaac, he received a stew made from the fruits of a purple plant).
Bean grains cook quickly enough - within 10-15 minutes, and do not require pre-soaking.
To prevent the beans from sticking to the pan during cooking, it is recommended to add 1 tbsp. l. oils from olives or sunflowers directly during the cooking process.

Lobio

A simple and tasty dish.

First of all, you need to prepare the following components:

1 tbsp. lentils;
1 onion;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 handfuls of shelled walnuts;
2 tbsp. l. sunflower oils;
1 tsp. vinegar;
1/5 tsp. ground red hot pepper;
0.5 tsp. mixtures of suneli hops and powdered coriander;
cilantro and parsley to taste.

Procedure:

Wash the lentils and place them in a saucepan, then fill them with water in a ratio of 1:2.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn on the burner and cook until the product is ready (about 20 minutes).
Grind the nuts using a blender and chop the fresh herbs.
Finely chop the peeled onion and sauté in a frying pan heated with oil until golden brown.
When the beans are cooked, combine them with the onion and nut mixture, throw in the herbs and crushed garlic.
Add salt and pepper to the resulting substance and add seasonings.
Mix all ingredients and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
At the end of cooking, pour in vinegar and stir the lobio.

Ingredients

When preparing lentil dishes, you can combine various food combinations:

If you add chopped potato wedges to the lentils, they will take the same amount of time to cook as red grains. You will probably need to add water, but this can be done during the cooking process;
Pesto sauce is suitable as a dressing for grain legumes;
Certain spices are combined with leguminous crops - cilantro, garlic, red hot pepper, curry powder and cumin. Cooks recommend adding seasonings at the beginning of cooking, so the food will acquire a more pronounced taste and aroma;
this type of bean goes well with meat and fish products, as well as sautéed vegetables;
tomatoes, lemon juice and vinegar are added to the finished dish, otherwise the lentil seeds will remain hard;
the legume product is boiled in water and in broths (mushroom, meat);
of vegetables, red lentils go perfectly with garlic, fried onions, carrots and sweet peppers, and of beans - with peas and beans;
Boiled cereal is used as a side dish and added to cutlets, stews, pancakes and salads. In addition, it is used to make soups, pilaf, lobio, add it to baked goods as a filling and create sweets;
ready-made legumes are combined with mint mashed in olive oil.

Step-by-step process for creating a dish

Red lentils (the recipes below will tell you what to cook at home) are used both in first and second courses, and in desserts.

Preparing the side dish

First of all, you need to pour cold water over the lentil fruits in a ratio of 1:5.
Now you need to peel, chop and lightly fry the onions.
After this, bring the lentils to a boil and add oil, salt and bay leaves to it.
Next, the side dish needs to be cooked over very low heat. Cooking time: 35 minutes.

The finished dish must be seasoned with butter. If you plan to serve it with sausages, then raw meat products can be thrown into the side dish three minutes before they are fully cooked.

Cutlets

The preparation is simple.

Red lentils. What to cook? It's easy to make delicious cutlets.

To prepare oven-baked lentil cutlets, you will need the following ingredients:

300 g of red legume seeds;
100 g peeled walnuts;
5 cloves of garlic;
150 g sour cream;
1 onion;
sunflower oil for lubrication;
150 g dried bread;
2 eggs;
2 laurel leaves;
pepper;
salt.

Step-by-step description of the recipe:

Rinse the beans, then add cool water and let the liquid boil.
Immerse the onion head in the boiling substance and add the bay leaf, then turn on the burner and cook for another 15 minutes.
Next, transfer the entire composition to a colander and wait for the water to drain. Remove the onion and bay leaves.
Blend the finished lentils using an immersion blender.
Lightly dry the bun in the oven or in a frying pan, then break it into pieces and also grind it into crumbs with a blender.
Grind the nuts in a similar way and add both prepared components to the lentil puree.
Beat the eggs into the combined ingredients, add sour cream, pepper and add salt. Stir the resulting substance until it has a homogeneous consistency.
Spread the resulting mass into silicone molds, pre-coated with oil.
Preheat the oven to 2000C, place the filled containers there and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Cream soup

Red lentils (experienced housewives will recommend what to cook for lunch) are often used to create various soups.

Necessary ingredients for a nutritious first course:

1.5 tbsp. fruits of grain legumes;
2 potatoes;
1 carrot and onion;
2 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
2 tbsp. l. sweet paprika paste;
2 tbsp. l. drain oils;
1 tbsp. l. olive oils;
1 tsp. dried mint.

Step-by-step recipe:

Peel the vegetables, then finely chop the carrots, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut the potatoes into medium cubes.
To prepare the delicacy, take a large saucepan with a thick bottom, pour oil into it and heat it.
Place the onion-carrot mixture into the hot oily substance and saute it over maximum heat until golden brown.
Next, add the chopped potatoes to the vegetable mixture, turn up the heat and continue frying.
Place the washed lentils in a saucepan, stir and pour 2 liters of boiling water.
Wait until the mixture boils, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Puree the finished lentil soup in a blender.
For the sauce, place mint, tomato and paprika in a frying pan heated with butter, then stir.

Divide the puree soup into serving bowls and pour over the sauce.

Lentil soup. Ingredients

Green lentil dishes can be very different. Even a novice housewife can easily master the cooking recipes. The soup with the addition of lentils turns out to be appetizing and rich.

Ingredients:

potatoes - 2 tubers;
beef - 250 grams;
tomato paste - 1 tablespoon;
lentils - 120 grams;
carrots - 1 piece;
onion - 1 piece;
vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
paprika, salt, black pepper - to taste;
coriander - a third of a teaspoon.

Porridge

Preparation next.

Product set for making porridge:

Name	Unit of measurement	Quantity
Bulb	PC.	1
Carrot	PC.	1
Red lentils	G	200
Seedless raisins	A handful of	1-2
Freshly ground pepper	Pinch	1
Salt	Taste
Curry powder	tsp	1
Sunflower oil	Art. l.	2-3
Purified water	ml	200-300

Preparation steps:

Chop the onion into pieces, grate the carrots coarsely, then place them in a deep frying pan heated with oil and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally.
Place the washed lentils into the vegetable mixture, pepper, add curry and washed raisins.
Next, pour water into the pan, close the container with a lid and simmer the food over moderate heat for 20 minutes.
At the end of cooking, add salt to the dish and stir.

Porridge is served as an independent dish or as a side dish.

Pate

The dish is simple.

Ingredients to make lentil pate:

0.5 tbsp. red lentils;
80 g carrots;
½ tbsp. peeled walnuts;
25 g butter (or vegetable oil);
½ tsp each seasonings of asafoetida and fenugreek leaves;
1/3 tsp. pepper

Procedure:

Cook the beans until cooked (about 20 minutes), then remove them from the stove, add salt and oil. Puree the resulting substance using an immersion blender and leave to cool.
Grind the nuts to a powder using a rolling pin.
Peel the carrots and grate them on a fine shredder, then fry in oil until soft. Pour the indicated spices into the vegetable mixture and fry everything together for another 1 minute.
Next, all the prepared ingredients are mixed and placed in a blender bowl, then blended to the required consistency.
The pate is served immediately or sent to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Lenten pilaf

What to cook with red lentils during Lent is a question that interests many Orthodox people.

To prepare lean lentil pilaf in a slow cooker, you will need the following components:

1 tbsp. long grain rice;
1 tbsp. red legumes;
4 tbsp. water;
1 onion;
1 clove of garlic;
2 tbsp. l. sunflower oils;
1 bay leaf;
seasonings for pilaf;
0.5 tsp. powdered coriander;
salt to taste.

Manufacturing method:

To fry, you need to peel the onion and garlic clove.
Next, finely chop the onion with a sharp knife and chop the garlic into slices.
Pour the vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl, then add the onion mixture there.
Set the “frying” program on the electrical appliance for 5 minutes. When frying, the vegetable substance is periodically stirred with a spatula.
Rinse the lentils 2-3 times in warm water; there is no need to soak them.
Place the rice cereal in a deep bowl and rinse it under the tap until the stream runs clear.
Next, add the beans and rice to the fried onions and mix.
Coriander, laurel and spices for pilaf are poured into the multicooker container.
Then the food set is poured with hot water and stirred until smooth.
Close the lid of the electrical appliance and leave for 30 minutes. "Rice" or "Stew" mode.
After the specified time has passed, leave the dish to heat for 5-10 minutes.

Lentils with chicken

Ancient healers believed that dishes made from green lentils give a person energy, peace of mind and health. Therefore, people have been eating this product with pleasure since time immemorial. Consider a recipe for making lentils with chicken.

Ingredients:

chicken fillet - 500 grams;
carrots - 1 piece;
onions (preferably red) - 3 pieces;
green lentils - 400 grams;
garlic - 3 cloves;
vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon;
spices: coriander, red and black pepper, bay leaf - to taste;
salt - to taste.

Pancakes

Everyone loves pancakes.

To make lentil pancakes, you will need the following ingredients:

200 g lentils;
2 tbsp. l. corn starch;
2 eggs;
2 tbsp. cold water;
sour cream;
1 tbsp. l. olive oils;
2 onions;
salt;
pepper.

Step-by-step design method:

Wash the beans and add the volume of water according to the recipe. Next, put them on the stove and cook for 20 minutes until the product is boiled.
Grind the finished ingredient with a fork or blender until pureed.
Chop the peeled onion into small pieces, then grind it to the consistency of porridge.
Send the onion mixture to the lentils and knead the dough, adding egg, butter and starch. Add salt and pepper to the resulting mixture.
Spoon the resulting substance onto a heated frying pan and fry the baked goods on both sides for 1 minute. to the side.

Serve flatbreads with sour cream.

Salad

Light dish.

For lentil salad you will need the following products:

2/3 lentils;
300 g pumpkin pulp;
1 onion;
2 pcs. sweet pepper;
2 cloves of garlic;
100 ml sunflower oil;
soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to taste;
dry Mediterranean herbs;
30 g parmesan.

Procedure:

Peel the pepper. Remove stem and seeds, then cut into cubes.
Chop the pumpkin pulp into medium pieces.
Combine the vegetables, then pour oil over them, add Italian spices and bake in an oven preheated to 1900C until soft.
Boil the beans and combine with the baked vegetable mixture.
For dressing, mix oil, soy and vinegar, and pour the sauce into the main composition.
At the end, sprinkle the dish with finely grated cheese.

Lentils with vegetables

Dishes made from green lentils with vegetables are very satisfying and nutritious. The recipe below has its own twist. This is a special combination of seasonings that gives the food a spicy kick.

Ingredients:

zucchini - 250 grams;
green lentils - 2 cups;
onions - 1 piece (50 grams);
tomatoes - 2 pieces;
vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons;
hot water - 3 glasses.

Seasonings:

dry parsley - 1 tablespoon;
corn flour - 1 heaped tablespoon;
savory - 1 teaspoon;
paprika - one heaped tablespoon;
garlic - 1-2 cloves;
red pepper (hot) - one pinch;
salt - to taste.

What to cook in a slow cooker?

Red lentils (the following recipe will tell you what to cook in a slow cooker) are combined with mushrooms.

Food kit for creating a nutritious side dish:

1.5 tbsp. red lentil grains;
400 g champignons;
1 onion and 1 carrot each;
3-4 branches of fresh parsley;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. purified water;
oil for frying;
pepper;
salt

Recipe description:

Wash and peel the carrots and onions, then finely chop them.
Pour oil into the multicooker bowl and add vegetables. Set the stewing program and fry the food until golden brown.
Place the champignons into a deep plate and cover them with water. Then wash the mushrooms, peel, dry and cut into slices.
Send the mushroom mixture to the vegetables and simmer them for 3 minutes.
Wash the beans and pour them separately into the multicooker container along with chopped herbs and garlic. Add salt and pepper to the ingredients.
Next, add a portion of water to the products and stir the ingredients.
Set the cooking program on the appliance (for approximately 25 minutes) and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
Serve lentil side dish with vegetables.

Cooking method

First you need to chop the vegetables: onions, carrots and garlic should be cut into small pieces.
Then you need to cut the chicken fillet.
After this, the lentils need to be poured into a saucepan, rinsed and filled with cold water.
Now you need to put the container with the cereal on the fire, let it boil, skim off the resulting foam, and reduce the heat. Cooking time for lentils is thirty minutes. Ten minutes before it is ready, add bay leaf and salt.
Next, you need to drain the remaining water from the cereal.
Then you need to lightly fry the garlic in sunflower oil. After this, you should add pieces of chicken meat to it. It needs to be browned on all sides until crispy.
After this, the chicken fillet must be combined with carrots and onions. All ingredients should be mixed thoroughly.
Now the resulting mass needs to be salted and seasoned with coriander and pepper. It needs to be fried for about ten more minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Then add the lentils to the pan. It needs to be mixed with meat and vegetables and heated over very low heat for about one minute.

Lentils and chicken are ready! It is served hot along with fresh vegetables.

Useful tips and tricks

Secrets and recommendations for preparing a healthy product:

Before cooking, lentils are sorted out of debris and washed thoroughly;
Read also: Pasta with stew in a frying pan - simple and tasty
the ratio of beans and water during cooking is 1 to 2;
legumes are salted at the end of cooking; if the mixture is salted at the beginning, they will cook longer;
To prevent the product from burning, stir it periodically;
Legumes make excellent thick soups, porridges and purees;
after boiling, the red grains change color to orange or bright yellow;
so that the grains do not lose their shape, they are slightly undercooked;
Rich lentils are used to prepare rich soups (with beef or pork brisket) and lean soups (with lean beef or pork);
if you pour olive oil into the first dish, it will give the dish tenderness and brightness;
When creating lentil liquid food, both fresh fruits and those that have been stored for a long time are used. The main condition is not to mix them in the same container, because their cooking times are different;
legumes often cause flatulence. To prevent this, add 1-2 pieces to the water. carnations. In addition, the spice will give the food a subtle aroma;
Prepared leguminous seeds are stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

You can prepare very tasty and healthy dishes from red lentils, as can be seen from the proposed recipes. These are side dishes, soups and main courses that can replace meat treats. Such a wide range allows you to include a bean ingredient in the menu almost every day.

Useful properties of the product

Green lentils are not fully ripened fruits of the plant, so when heat treated they retain their shape well. They are usually used for preparing appetizers and salads, and added to meat dishes. Green lentil dishes are useful to eat to relieve symptoms of diseases such as hypertension, rheumatism, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, ulcers, hepatitis. When cooked, the fruits of this plant completely retain all their beneficial properties. One hundred grams of lentils contain:

vegetable protein - 25 grams;
water - 14 grams;
carbohydrates - 54 grams;
fat - 1 gram.

Thus, this grain crop is an inexhaustible source of healthy protein, perfectly accepted by the human body. In addition, it contains a lot of natural sugar, starch, Omega-6 and Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, soluble fiber, folic acid, beneficial trace elements and minerals. Below you will find a detailed story about how to prepare a variety of dishes from green lentils.