4 traditional HOMEMADE LENTIL stews

The lentils They are that homemade vegetable dish that, for some strange reason, you hate when you are little, and when you grow up you love madly. Has the same thing happened to you?

For me, within homemade lentils there are 3 stews with lentils that I adore above all things: the lentils with chorizothe lentils with rice, and the Lentils With Vegetables, each one for a different reason. We bring you the three recipes so that from now on nobody tells you that about “My mother’s lentils are the best.”

Finally, we are going to see a lentil recipe that will surprise you, some red lentil curry that have an exotic flavor that will make you fall in love.

Homemade lentils with chorizo

The lentils with chorizowe love them because the sausage It is a flavor that combines perfectly with this legume, and it becomes a stewespecially nice on cold days

Vegetables, chorizo ​​and different spices make up this recipe for lentils with chorizo that many will say that it is the best among all that there is. It is a strong dish, perfect for cold days.

Ingredients: 400 g of brown lentils; 1 red bell pepper; 1 green pepper; 1 yellow bell pepper; 1 onion; 3 garlic cloves; 3 carrots; 1 tablespoon of fried tomato; ½ tablespoon of flour; Sausage; Salt; Black pepper; 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika; 1 tablespoon of cumin; 1 teaspoon of turmeric; 1 glass of water; extra virgin olive oil

If you want to know how to make them step by step, follow our recipe where we explain it to you in detail:

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Lentils with chorizo ​​(the perfect traditional recipe)

Homemade lentils with vegetables

The Lentils With Vegetablesthey are much lighter than other versions, and they do not lose a bit of flavor.

Ingredients: 320 g of brown lentils; 1 Italian green pepper; 1 red bell pepper; 1 leek; 1 onion; 2 carrots; 1 tomato; 2 potatoes; 3 tablespoons of fried tomato; A pinch of salt; extra virgin olive oil Optional: 4 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon of paprika from La Vera

An easy and delicious recipe, with which you will enjoy all the benefits of lentils without the extra calories provided by other types of more forceful recipes:

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Lentils With Vegetables

Homemade lentil stew with rice

The lentils with riceThey seem to me one of the most complete dishes for the days that we want to simplify with a single dish, since the vegetable protein provided by the lentils is combined with the carbohydrates of the rice, perfect!

Ingredients: 400 g of brown lentils; 200 g of rice (preferably whole grain); 2 carrots; 1 green pepper; 1 onion; 1 potato; 4 garlic cloves; 1 bay leaf; 3 tablespoons of fried tomato; 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika; Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Salt; Water

The combination of both is a nutritious and fiber-filled dish, which we recommend including in your weekly family menu, as it provides a lot of energy and little fat:

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Lentils with rice, the perfect combination

Red lentil curry

Before I told you that in my years of exploring these delicious legumes that are lentils, I have learned other recipes that have also conquered me, and that I recommend you try, such as red lentil currya delicious recipe that will surprise you with the exotic flavor it brings to the lentils. Highly recommended!

Ingredients: 250 g of red lentils (you can buy them here); 1 liter of vegetable broth; 2 large carrots; 200 ml of cream; 1 clove garlic; 1 teaspoon of turmeric; ½ teaspoon of curry; 2 pinches of ground cumin; 1 sprig of parsley; Salt and pepper

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Red Lentil Curry Recipe

Lentils go beyond the classic or exotic stewed lentils. Try also incorporating them into a light lentil salad when the good weather arrives, you will see that it is a versatile ingredient that gives a lot of play.

Tips for making the best homemade lentils

What types of lentils are there?

There are several types of lentils that differ in size, shape, and color. Some of the most common types of lentils are:

1. green lentils: They are the most common and popular lentils. They are medium in size, round in shape and olive green in color.
2. brown lentils: They are smaller than green lentils and have a light brown color. They are widely used in Spanish cuisine to prepare dishes such as the famous “lentils with chorizo”.
3. red lentils: They are smaller than green and brown lentils, and have a red-orange color. They are ideal for making purees and soups.
4. yellow lentils: They are similar in size to green lentils, but their color is golden yellow. They are widely used in Indian cuisine to prepare dal.
5. beluga lentils: They are the smallest of all lentils and have a shiny black color. They are ideal for salads and elegant dishes.

There are many other types of lentils, but these are the most common and easy to find on the market.

If you are preparing to make lentils, the first thing is to choose the variety, personally the one I like the most is the pardina lentilperfect for doing stewed lentils that we all know. It is a small, brownish lentil, and one of its characteristics is that it cooks very quickly even without prior soaking if you prepare it in the pressure cooker (it does not need more than 10-12 minutes). There are other varieties depending on the recipe, such as red lentils Since they do not have skin, they are perfect for babies or small children.

How to clean lentils

To clean lentils before cooking, follow these steps:

1. Pour the lentils into a strainer and rinse them under cold water to remove any dirt or impurities.
2. Place the lentils in a large bowl and cover with water. Let the lentils soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. After soaking, drain the lentils in the colander and rinse again under cold water.
4. Repeat this process of soaking and rinsing the lentils two or three more times, until the water runs clear and free of impurities.
5. Once you’ve cleaned the lentils, they’re ready to be cooked in your favorite recipe.

It’s important to remember that you don’t need to soak lentils before cooking, but doing so can help reduce cooking time and make the lentils easier to digest.

If you are cooking the lentils in the traditional way and a foam comes out on top, you must remove it, because they are impurities that have remained.

How much water do lentils need?

This is very important, because you have to take into account that lentils absorb water and swell, so if you add a little water they can stick to you and if you add a lot, the broth will come out too liquid. The usual measure is 3 water for 1 lentil, that is, 1 glass of lentils x 3 glasses of water in the case of a pressure cooker, and 5 glasses of water in the case of traditional cooking.

If you like your stew thicker, use less water. If you prefer it to be more liquid, add more water.

It’s important to note that lentils absorb water as they cook, so you may need to add more water during the cooking process if you notice that the stew is getting too dry.

You can also use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water to give the stew more flavor. In this case, be sure to reduce the amount of salt you add to the stew, as the broth itself can be salty.

How long do lentils need to cook?

If you do them lentils in an express potonce the lid is closed, put the indicator in position 2, and when the pressure indicator rises, you have to leave them on medium heat for no more than 8-10 minutes maximum.

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Lentils in an express or quick cooker

In case of traditional pot They will need about 40-50 minutes. This can vary slightly depending on the type of lentil, for example oranges will need even less time.

Both in the express pot and in the traditional one, first put it on high heat and once it boils you have to lower the heat to medium-low so that they cook evenly and do not stick to the bottom of the pot! They tend to be like this! be careful!

How to get a thick and flavorful broth?

If you have gone too far with the water, the lentils will be very liquid and without the creamy texture that characterizes them. One trick is to take a part of the already cooked lentils, approximately a saucepan and some vegetables, pass them through the potato mill and add them back to the stew, stirring so that they are integrated, in this way you will thicken it and gain in flavor.

5 healthy properties of lentils

1. They contain 20% ofvegetal protein. These proteins have aamino acid deficiencyso the ideal ismix it with cereal(rich in these amino acids) and thus achieve ahigh quality protein. Therefore, when you eat legumes it is best to accompany them with pasta, rice, bread…
2. It is rich iniron, although it is non-heme iron, less absorbed. For this reason, it is advisable to take lentils with foods rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes and peppers.
3. They contributefibersoluble and insoluble, so they help regulate intestinal transit and improve constipation.
4. Legumes are rich inpotassium,low sodiumand with significant levels ofmagnesiumwhich after calcium is the mineral that is most involved inbone and tooth development.
5. Mixing them with large doses of meat is not suitable, since it supposesan excess protein.As we have said before, the ideal is mix them with cereals to make it a complete protein with high nutritional value.

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If you want to try other healthy recipes with legumes, we recommend the chickpea stew with chard,

The entry 4 traditional HOMEMADE LENTIL stews was first published on PequeRecetas

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