Red lentil side dish recipe. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

Despite the fact that lentils are a very healthy and nutritious product, today they are not so often found on our lunch menus. However, our ancestors - both the poor and peasants, and the rich and nobles - paid tribute to dishes made from this variety of legumes. By the way, in pre-revolutionary times, Russia ranked first in the world in lentil production. Meanwhile, these legumes are one of the highest quality sources of vegetable protein, which is especially important if you observe church fasts. So, today we decided to offer you several options for how to cook lentils as a side dish. If you want to diversify your menu with a very healthy and tasty product, be sure to use one of the recipes.

Cooking process

Boil water, add lentils to it and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. At the same time, fry the pre-grated carrots and garlic, as well as finely chopped onions, in vegetable oil. Then add spices and tomato sauce, stir and remove from heat. Add the sautéed lentils to the boiled lentils, add salt and simmer over low heat for a few more minutes. The delicious side dish is ready! It will go well with both meat dishes and vegetable salad. This option for how to cook lentils as a side dish is very easy and quick and is suitable even for novice housewives. Bon appetit!

Lentils with chicken and bell pepper

For those who are looking for a recipe for an original and tasty dish for the holiday table, cooked lentils with vegetables and chicken will definitely decorate the table.

Ingredients:

• 200 g lentils; • 2 chicken breasts (fillets); • 3 cloves of garlic; • 2 onions; • 2 sweet peppers; • 2 small apples (Antonovka, Granny); • teaspoon of chili pepper; • olive oil.

Cooking method:

1. To ensure that cooking does not take so much time, it is better to pre-soak the lentils and leave them overnight. Then rinse with water and cook over low heat for half an hour. 2. While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the remaining ingredients. Take bell pepper and cut it into cubes. Peel the apples and cut into slices. Sprinkle peppers and apples with oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees. 3. Take a frying pan and fry the chopped onion in vegetable oil. As soon as the onion becomes transparent, add chicken fillet pieces and fry. 4. To the fried chicken with onions, add baked peppers and apples, as well as chopped garlic and chili peppers for piquancy. 5. All that remains is to add the lentils, mix everything and simmer a little so that all the ingredients can absorb each other’s juices.

Green Lentil Side Dish Recipe

We bring to your attention another recipe from this variety of legumes. This side dish of green lentils combined with pasta is of Egyptian origin and has a magnificent and rich taste. So, in order to pamper yourself and your loved ones with a similar dish, we first need to prepare the following ingredients: 200 grams of green lentils, 200 grams of pasta, 700 grams of tomatoes (you can take both fresh and canned), three onions, a clove of garlic, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and coriander to taste. From this quantity of products you can prepare four servings of the dish.

Fill the beans with water at the rate of two glasses of water per one glass of lentils and boil for 40 minutes over low heat. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan or saucepan and add crushed coriander and cumin seeds, fry them for a few seconds. Then add boiled lentils and mix. Cut the onion into half rings and fry in a frying pan with four tablespoons of vegetable oil until golden brown. Add a teaspoon of sugar to the onion, increase the heat and continue to fry, stirring constantly, until crispy and brown. Then transfer it to a paper napkin or towel to absorb excess fat. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and add finely chopped garlic, turmeric, tomatoes, add a little salt and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. We should have a slightly thickened sauce. Place lentils on top of pre-boiled pasta, then tomato sauce and crispy onions. You can also sprinkle the dish with parsley or cilantro. This was another option for how to cook lentils as a side dish. Be sure to try this delicious and healthy dish!

How to cook brown lentils as a side dish: recipe with photos, cooking tips

Lentils can be cooked in different ways. If you compare it in terms of calorie content with other products, it can even replace meat. In our article we will tell you in detail how to cook brown lentils as a side dish to make an incredibly tasty and aromatic dish.

At one time, it was a popular legume, but with the advent of potatoes, lentils lost their popularity. However, many people prefer it to all other dishes.

How long to cook

How many minutes should I cook brown lentils for a side dish? This legume is cooked for 40 to 60 minutes. Some housewives think it takes a long time. But as a result you get a very tasty dish. This is a healthy side dish that can diversify the diet of each of us.

To speed up the process, you need to soak the lentils in water overnight. Then it is cooked for only 20-25 minutes. Now you know how long to cook brown lentils.

After placing this product in a double boiler, you will have to wait about 1 hour. During this time, the lentils will boil well.

Some cooking features

We continue to figure out how to properly cook brown lentils for a side dish. When preparing this healthy cereal, consider these tips:

Fill the lentils only with cold running water. This way the side dish won't turn into mush.
When boiling cereal for a side dish or stew, pour three glasses of water over it. When preparing lentils for salad, use less water (maximum 2 cups) so that the grains do not become so cooked.
Salt the lentils at the end of cooking, otherwise they will be hard and tough.
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pan.
Rosemary, sage, celery, bay leaf will be the best addition to lentils and will give it a special flavor.

Boiled brown lentils as a side dish

To prepare you will need:

200 grams of brown lentils.
450 milliliters of purified water.
85 grams of onions.
85 grams of carrots.
Refined vegetable oil.
Ground black pepper.
Salt.

We offer step-by-step cooking instructions. By following our recommendations, you will easily understand how to cook brown lentils for a side dish. You must follow these steps:

Rinse the lentils, cover with water and leave for an hour.
After this, drain the water and replace it with new, lightly salted water.
Place on the fire and cook for 15-25 minutes.
While the side dish is cooking, start preparing the vegetable dressing. To do this, peel and chop the onion, place it in a frying pan with heated vegetable oil and fry for 5-7 minutes.
Add the grated carrots and fry for another 5 minutes.
After cooking, drain the lentils and place them in a colander. Wait for it to drain. Mix vegetable dressing with cereal and serve.

Cooking in a slow cooker

You will need these ingredients:

160 grams of lentils.
450 milliliters of purified water.
2 cloves of garlic.
75 grams of onions.
75 grams of carrots.
35 milliliters of refined oil.
90 grams of sweet bell pepper.
Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

How to cook brown lentils for a side dish using a slow cooker? To prepare a side dish in a slow cooker, first fry the peeled and crushed garlic in oil, selecting the “Baking” cooking mode. After this, remove the garlic, and place onions, carrots and bell peppers into the resulting garlic oil. Fry the vegetables until they become soft and then add the rinsed lentils. Fill everything with water. Select the “Grain” or “Buckwheat” mode. Cook until the program ends.

When preparing this dish, follow the proportions. How to cook brown lentils for a side dish so that the grains are soft but whole? Take 1 part legumes and two parts water.

Delicious recipes for simple dishes with lentils

This product of plant origin goes well with mushrooms, as well as stewed, baked and even fried. Lentils are the best addition to meat. We bring to your attention several simple recipes that will help diversify your diet. If you are not a fan of lentils, then try cooking them at least once. Perhaps your opinion will change.

To make dishes with this grain even tastier, you need to boil the lentils for 5-10 minutes. Next, you need to drain the water (it will be dark in color), rinse the cereal under running water and cook again.

If you follow this simple advice, you will get a tasty and tender dish that can be given even to children.

Cooking lentils with mushrooms in a slow cooker

This dish is perfect for vegetarians. Lentils and mushrooms are a treasure trove of proteins. In addition, this cereal contains many vitamins and minerals, such as A, E, B1, B2, B9, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus.

To prepare this tasty and healthy dish in a slow cooker, take:

Brown lentils and mushrooms in equal quantities (400 grams each).
1 onion.
Butter 50 grams.
A few cloves of garlic.
Greenery.

Prepare by following the step-by-step recipe below:

Place butter in the multicooker bowl.
Chop the onion and lightly fry.
Cut the mushrooms into cubes or slices and add them to the onion.
Fry the food for 15 minutes, closing the multicooker lid.
Add lentils and 4 cups of water.
Turn on the “Cooking” or “Frying” mode and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode. Mix the ingredients and cook for another 15 minutes.
Decorate the finished dish with finely chopped herbs.

Lentils and mushrooms do not need to be seasoned with anything else. It itself is quite juicy, and mushrooms and onions with garlic add some piquancy to the taste.

Falafel

This is a very interesting brown lentil dish. It's quite simple to prepare. Falafel is a cutlet made from plant ingredients. The main ingredient is chickpeas, but lentils are also a great alternative. To prepare these cutlets, which came to us from Turkish cuisine, you need to take:

400 grams of lentils.
1 onion.
3-4 cloves of garlic.
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour or fiber.
Greenery.
Vegetable oil (for frying).
Spices.

Step-by-step preparation consists of preliminary preparation of the cereal. It should be boiled and crushed using a blender until a homogeneous puree is obtained. You need to add garlic and spices to it. To stir thoroughly. After this, add half the greens and flour and beat everything thoroughly again. The mixture for the cutlets is ready.

Form into flat cakes with your hands. Place your pieces into the oil heated in a frying pan, first rolling them in flour. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. After this, place the cutlets in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius.

If this option for cooking brown lentils does not suit you, you can try cooking them with lamb. How to do this, read below.

Lentils with lamb

To prepare this delicious dish, you will need:

Lentils – 2 cups.
Lamb – 400 grams.
Onions – 1 pc.
Carrots – 1 pc.
Garlic – 1 head.
Water - 450 ml.
Spices.
Fresh greens.

How to properly cook brown lentils for a side dish if you use lamb as one of the ingredients? Step-by-step instruction:

Place a thick-bottomed pan on the fire.
Place minced meat in it. Do not pour oil.
Fry until the lamb releases its juices. Once this happens, place a layer of chopped onion and grated carrots on top of the meat.
Simmer the food under a closed lid for 20-25 minutes.
Then add garlic, seasoning and salt. Mix everything thoroughly.
Add lentils, previously soaked in water.
Add water.
Simmer for at least 40 minutes. After the time has passed, turn off the stove and let the dish brew under the lid closed.

Lentils are a great side dish option. You can easily diversify your diet using this healthy and tasty product. Above we told you how long to cook brown lentils until tender. To make the process less time-consuming, soak this grain in water, like beans or peas.

Now you know how to cook brown lentils for a side dish. A dietary dish necessarily requires boiling the cereal for several minutes and then draining the water. In this case, lentils will not cause increased gas formation in the intestines.

This grain can also be used for vegetable salads. To do this, lentils should be boiled until tender, cooled and added as a hearty ingredient to chopped fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. This salad needs to be seasoned with olive oil.

Lentils in a slow cooker: recipe

If you are the happy owner of such a kitchen appliance, then you probably know that you can cook a whole lot of different dishes in it. These include soups, cereals, and baked goods. Next, we suggest learning how to cook lentils in a slow cooker. If you decide to treat yourself to a delicious side dish of this variety of legumes, then you will need the following ingredients: a multi-cup of red lentils, a medium-sized onion, 2.5 multi-cups of plain water, carrots, salt, ground black pepper, and vegetable oil.

Indian dal - step by step recipe

Dal is a traditional dish of Indian cuisine. Even in the poorest families in India, such soup is a mandatory dish on the table. To prepare it, different types of legumes are used, as well as herbs and spices, which give the dish a unique taste and aroma.

Ingredients:

• 220 g lentils; • 3 tomatoes; • white onions; • 3 cloves of garlic; • teaspoon of sesame seeds; • teaspoon of mustard seeds; • teaspoon of cumin; • teaspoon of turmeric; • bay leaf; • 2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice; • sunflower oil, salt, parsley.

Cooking method:

1. Pour 3 glasses of cold water over the lentils and cook for 20 minutes. 2. Peel the tomatoes and dice the pulp into small cubes. 3. In a frying pan with heated oil, sauté the chopped onion and garlic. 4. As soon as the vegetables are lightly fried, add mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin to them, mix and continue cooking for a few more minutes. At the end add sesame seeds. Place vegetables and tomatoes into almost finished lentils. Add bay leaf, lemon juice and salt to taste. Cook the soup for 10 minutes. 5. Decorate the Indian lentil dal with parsley leaves and serve with flatbreads.

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Cooking process

Peel and finely chop the onion. Turn on the “Baking” mode and fry the onion for about five minutes in vegetable oil, stirring constantly. Peel the carrots, grate them, add to the frying onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Rinse the lentils in cold water and add to the fried vegetables. Fill with water, salt and pepper. Stir, close the lid of the multicooker and set the “Buckwheat” mode. Very soon a delicious and nutritious side dish will be ready.

Today we have given several recipes for how to cook lentils as a side dish. However, this variety of legumes can also be an independent dish. For example, many people love lentil soups. As a rule, they are prepared in the form of a puree, adding tomatoes, peppers and various seasonings. Such dishes contain few calories, but at the same time they are very filling and tasty. Therefore, people who watch their figure will certainly like them.

Lentil cutlets

Lentil cutlets can be the best alternative to meat dishes. Thanks to their unique properties, they are satisfying and nutritious. Since lentils are quite soft in structure, it is not necessary to add eggs to the products. It is better to use vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, pumpkin or potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 200 g lentils; • onion; • carrot; • 3 cloves of garlic; • teaspoons of cumin and coriander; • salt, parsley, olive oil.

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Cooking method:

1. Boil the lentils for 20 minutes, drain the water, and cool completely. 2. Place boiled beans, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, grated carrots and spices into a blender bowl. You can add some breadcrumbs. Mix everything. 3. Form the minced meat into cutlets, lightly roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil until crispy. 4. Ready-made cutlets can be decorated with lettuce leaves, red onion rings, and sprinkled with sour cream.

How to cook lentils?

Cooking these legumes does not take as much time as it might seem at first. The most important thing is to pre-soak the grains in warm water for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. lentils;
2 tbsp. water;
2 carrots;
1 onion;
vegetable oil;
salt pepper.

Preparation:

Thanks to the special sauce and seasonings, the grains are soft, aromatic, and the dish as a whole is very rich in taste and extremely satisfying.

Ingredients:

250 g lentils;
4 tbsp. l. olive oil (preferably cold pressed);
2 onions;
3 tomatoes;
50 g fresh parsley;
½ lemon;
salt pepper.

Preparation:

Soak the lentil grains in water - for 4 hours if it is cold. For convenience, you can reduce the time by pouring boiling water over the beans. In this case, keeping them in water for 60 minutes is enough. When the lentils swell, place them in a colander to drain all the water.
Finely chop the onion. Peel the tomatoes and finely chop the pulp.
In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat half the oil and first fry the onion, then add the tomato pulp and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add lentil beans to the vegetables, pour in 1 tbsp. warm water, reduce heat to low and simmer, covering all ingredients with a lid, for about half an hour.
Divide the lemon into 2 equal parts. Squeeze the juice from one half, sprinkle it over the prepared lentils and season with the remaining oil and finely chopped parsley.

Delicious dietary recipe for cooking lentils

There are several types of lentils: red, green and brown. The red one cooks the fastest, about 20 minutes, but it also boils harder than the others, so it is better suited for making purees or soup.

Green is unripe brown. Therefore, it cooks longer than others and retains its shape better. You need to cook it for at least 1 hour; it is best used for salads or side dishes.

Brown is a fully ripened green, has a light nutty aroma, and cooks fairly quickly in 25 minutes. It's also boiling over.

To prepare we will need:

Lentils – 1 cup
Lime or lemon juice – 1/2 pcs.
Ginger – 1 cm.
Onions or leeks – 1 pc.
Carrots – 2 pcs.
Tomatoes – 4 pcs.
Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons
Salt, pepper, sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic – 1 clove
Greens, basil, oregano

Unfortunately, legumes can cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, to avoid them, soak the lentils overnight in cold water, as described above, then they will be better absorbed by your body and will not cause gas formation.

1. Wash the grains several times and cook on fire for 20-30 minutes, depending on its variety. Cereals soaked overnight will cook faster.

How to soak lentils before cooking

You can read a lot about the amazing beneficial properties of lentils, however, you should remember that this product is difficult for the body to digest. If prepared incorrectly, a healthy dish can cause bloating and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

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

The soaking time depends on how much time has passed since harvest. If you bought lentils at the store, soak them in water at least overnight. During the soaking process, the grains will absorb water and almost double in size. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the grains and cook over low heat.

Lentil pate with nuts

You can prepare a variety of dishes from lentils. For example, bean paste with walnuts. This is a great option as a sandwich with brown bread. Despite the fact that pate is not the most appetizing dish in appearance, its taste and aroma compensate for this shortcoming.

Ingredients:

• 250 g lentils; • bulb; • carrot; • 80 g walnuts; • salt, pepper, sunflower oil.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the lentils for 20 minutes. 2. Chop the onion and carrots and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. 3. Walnuts can be ground in a coffee grinder. 4. Place the prepared lentils, vegetables, nuts in a deep container, add spices and mix the ingredients with a blender until a homogeneous texture is obtained, that is, pate. The finished snack can be transferred to bowls and decorated with quartered nuts.

Chicken liver appetizer

Lentils have the peculiarity that they do not absorb harmful substances and toxins, so the dishes are not only tasty, but also healthy.

Ingredients:

• 250 g lentils; • bulb; • 400 g chicken liver; • teaspoon each of coriander and black pepper; • salt, vegetable oil, dill.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the lentils until tender. 2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion until golden brown. 3. Then add chicken liver to it and fry until done. 4. Add lentils and spices to the chicken liver and onions, mix and simmer for a few more minutes. Decorate the finished dish with chopped herbs.