How to cook lentils: delicious recipes and tricks to make them perfect

Lentils are a type of legume native to western Asia and North America. It is one of the first domesticated crops and was very important in the diets of the inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent, ancient Rome and Egypt. However, there are still many questions about how to cook lentils, how long to cook them, whether they need to be soaked or how to use them in recipes. In this article we clear all doubts.

Main types of lentils

To this day they remain a staple food in many regions of the world. We can find dry lentils, in packages, or cooked, in boats, both alone and with vegetables and other ingredients. Dried lentils are cheaper, yield much more and allow you to prepare everything you want with them. They also last a long time in the pantry.

The main producers of lentils are Canada and India. In Spain they are produced in Castilla-La Mancha and some provinces of Castilla y León. The varieties that are most cultivated here are:

Castilian blonde or lentils: It is the largest of all, tan in color.Blonde from La Armuña: It is cultivated north of Salamanca and is the base of the production of the Denomination of Origin “Lentil de la Armuña”. It’s like the Castilian blonde but greener.Pardina: It is smaller, 4-5 mm, brownish to brown in color, and is cultivated in Castilla y León. They tend to be the most popular because they have a mild flavor and thicken broths (and turn them brown). They are originally from India. The pardina lentil DO Tierra de Campos is grown in the northwestern provinces of Castilla y León.Green: They are green varieties with black spots, very small and with a very pleasant flavor. They are cultivated both in Castilla-La Mancha and in Castilla y León. They take the least time to cook.Puy: they are tiny, green-brown, rounded, and hold their shape well after cooking. They are loose and are often used a lot in restoration.Peeled lentils (yellow color): they are normal lentils but without the pigmented skin. They tend to fall apart with cooking. People who get a lot of gas from lentils feel better. Also when peeling them we reduce their tannin content (which can reduce protein digestibility).red lentils: They are the basics of the Middle East and we already see them in all supermarkets. They cook quickly, have a sweeter flavor, and are anywhere from tender to undone, depending on the type of cooking. They give less gas to people who are not very used to taking legumes.

How long do lentils need to soak?

To cook them we have to take into account the type of lentils that we are going to use. Although it is generally said that it is not necessary to leave them to soak, some varieties will benefit from this step, since it reduces its phytate content (improves the bioavailability of nutrients) and its cooking time.

If you live in an area with hard or very hard water, add a little baking soda to the soaking water (1 teaspoon per liter) to help it better absorb water and hydrate.

They need to soak:

Blondes (4-8 hours)Castellanas (4-8 hours)Pardinas (2-8 hours)Verdinas (2-8 hours)Puy (30 minutes-4 hours)Beluga (30 minutes-4 hours)

They do not need soaking:

Thin-skinned lentilsRed lentilsYellow peeled lentils

How to cook lentils in a normal pot

Before cooking them, remove the soaking water to get rid of part of the antinutrients. Look at the instructions on the package, because tables often come with cooking times. In a normal pot they will take longer than in an express pot, but if we leave them to soak we reduce the cooking time in both cases.

How long to cook lentils in a normal pot

To cook them in a normal pot, put the lentils and plenty of water (approximately three times as much water as lentils). You can cook them as is and then use them however you want, or add salt, spices, vegetables, etc., and directly prepare a stew or pot for several days.

Put it on high heat and when it starts to boil, lower the heat. At this moment the cooking minutes begin to count. These are the Approximate cooking times according to the type of lentil in a normal pot:

blondes: 20-25 minutes (if they have been soaked)/ 30-35 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Castilian: 20-25 minutes (if they have been soaked)/ 30-35 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Pardines: 18-22 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 30 minutes (if they have not been soaked)verdinas: 18-22 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 30 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Puy: 18-20 minutes (if they have been soaked)/ 25-30 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Beluga: 15-18 minutes (if they have been soaked)/ 22-26 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Yellow: 20-25 minutes (without soaking)Red: 20-25 minutes (without soaking)

How to cook lentils in a pressure cooker

Remember that to cook the legumes in the pressure cooker we have to put the legumes and enough water to cover them well, but without exceeding ¾ parts of the pot’s capacity (in the manufacturer’s instructions it will give you the maximum).

Close the pot well put it on high heat and when it starts to “beep” (steam will come out of the valve) put it on low heat and start counting the minutes of cooking.

Once the time has passed, turn off the heat, move the pot away and let it cool down so that it loses pressure. Open it up and check your lentils. If they lack a little, there is no problem in putting them back on the fire.

How long to cook lentils in an express pot

In a pressure cooker, all the legumes cook very quickly. They also often include these times in the package information. This are the Approximate cooking times for lentils in an express pot depending on the type:

blondes: 10-15 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 15-18 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Castilian: 10-15 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 15-18 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Pardines: 10-15 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 15-18 minutes (if they have not been soaked)verdinas: 10-12 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 12-15 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Puy: 10-12 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 12-15 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Beluga: 10-12 minutes (if they have been soaked) / 12-15 minutes (if they have not been soaked)Yellow: 10-12 minutes (without soaking)Red: 10-12 minutes (without soaking)

How to sprout lentils

Another way to treat lentils to be able to eat them is by sprouting them. In this case we will always use whole lentils (not peeled), of the variety we want. To germinate them:

we will give them a initial soak, without bicarbonate or salt, 12 hours, after which we drain them well and transfer them to the container where we are going to germinate them, which can be, for example, a tupperware large rectangular. You only have to put the lentils, add a little water to hydrate all of them, and cover it with a thin cloth or transparent film with holes.Change the water daily so they don’t go bad or mold.In about 3 days you will already have edible sprouts. If you leave them a couple more days, the seeds will also be soft and you can eat them whole, without removing any part.

Sprouted lentils should be stored in the fridge and consumed as soon as possible. They can be eaten both raw and cooked.

Recipes with lentils

With cooked lentils we can make many dishes:

How to preserve lentils

When you buy lentils, look at the expiration date. After the date indicated by the manufacturer, it is very possible that they are very difficult to cook, due to all the moisture they have lost. Although they usually take a long time (1-2 years), it must be taken into account.

At home you can keep them in their own package in the pantry, away from moisture and sunlight, or in a resealable container.

If they are already cooked:

To preserve them, it is enough to store them in jars with their cooking liquid, tightly closed, in the fridge, and consume them in a maximum of 4-5 days. They can also be frozen: drain them very well, dry them a little with kitchen paper and freeze them in freezer bags or suitable containers. Try not to fill them too much so they don’t get crushed. When defrosting them, it’s best to put them in a pot with water (the whole block of lentils) and put it over high heat, stirring from time to time until they separate. If you want to make a stew or stew with them, do the same: add them frozen and add enough water for the broth. They will defrost quickly.

How to preserve lentil proteins

The properties and benefits of lentils are multiple and they are a good source of protein. Although they contain less methionine, which means that their proteins are not completely complete. But this is not a problem, since we can take other foods together with the lentils or in any other meal. For example, soybeans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. contain a good amount of methionine.

Also keep in mind that lentils, like other legumes, contain bioactive peptides that are released during home processing (germination, cooking, etc.) and during digestion, and that they have health benefits: they are antihypertensives and antioxidants. .