Lentils (HELP!)

[Miss]

Hey ladies

I am on a mission to save money and make our food etc go further - everything is just so bloody expensive!

Anyway, I already do a lot of what we have always reffered to as peasent dishs - really wholesome filling dishes that are cheap and go far which were taught to me by my Yugoslavian Grandmother - things like rice dishes, ghoulash etc

Up until recently I have never tried lentils or Chickpeas! We were invited to a dinner party hosted by some friends of ours which was al indian food (which I love and have always eaten) but I tried so many different dishes that I had never had chance to try before some of which involved lentils and Chickpeas which got me thinking how I could use them in dishes!

Last night I made a cottage pie and bulked it out with red lentils and then made a carrot, sweet potato and standard potato mash - it was a hit with OH and DS!

Was just wondering if any of you girls used Lentils and Chickpeas and had an receipes you could share?

pleaseeee? xx

 

[pinkymum]

I'm not a brilliant cook hun. The only thing I use lentil for is lentil soup. But it fills me up and tastes gorgeous. I make a big pot and freeze it. I used to love chickpea curry but don't have a recipe for it.
X

 

[Miss]

I think I am gonna try this lentil soup - it seems to be the main thing that comes up when I type into google so many different ones tho! Can I pinch your recipe? Lol

I am hoping to get the recipe from one of the guys who did a chickpea curry from that night out so I will share if you like hun xx

 

[pinkymum]

Yeah of course lol. It's really easy.
Big pan
Fill it with water
Put in chopped carrots, turnip, potato and onion - you can add other veg if you want
Pour in red lentils, I put in just over a quarter of a small packet.
Chuck in 3 stock cubes ( if I'm giving some to my veggie friends I use veggie stock cubes if not chicken)
Salt and pepper to season. Stir it and leave to boil gently.
Just leave it at a low heat and give it a stir now and again.
Really really Simple to make and tastes great. Also very filling.

 

[pinkymum]

I think I am gonna try this lentil soup - it seems to be the main thing that comes up when I type into google so many different ones tho! Can I pinch your recipe? Lol

I am hoping to get the recipe from one of the guys who did a chickpea curry from that night out so I will share if you like hun xx

Yeah if you get the recipe send it onto me. Thanks hun. X

 

[tinselcat]

I made lentil dahl recently, it was quite easy. I can't remember exactly but boiled lentils for about 15 mins, and in another pan fried a clove of chopped garlic & onion plus assortment of spices (tumeric, coriander seed, cayenne pepper, paprika, allspice) and lemon/lime juice and then added the lentils to them. I didn't have any vegetables but a chopped carrot and potato would have been good to add, as would peas. So I put in some microwave-heated sweetcorn instead.

Served it on toast although rice I think is more usual.

OH seemed to quite like it (after adding extra spicy hot sauce to his) and it wasn't much effort and nicely filling

 

[tinselcat]

And we use chickpeas all the time. We get them from the Asian aisles in Tesco - they are cheaper than the Tesco's own brand chickpeas and are also boiled longer so are softer and taste better.

For a typical curry we might fry chopped onion and a clove of garlic in oil, also add mustard seeds for the 'raga' or 'rugu' but watch out, those things explode so put a saucepan lid over the top! Add 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes and the drained chickpeas and heat for 10 mins or so. Can add something else for excitement, e.g. a chopped veg (par-boil it first) or peas/sweetcorn (less effort, just put in once heated up). Also the spices: coriander seed (early), tumeric (early spice), allspice, cayenne pepper/chilli pepper (early), salt & pepper, oregano, paprika (late spice) and chopped coriander (late spice). There are other spices but I can't remember what they are off-hand. OH even likes doing crazy things like adding marmite but I discourage him from putting it in mine.

Tastes good served with pasta or rice

 

[isobel84]

i love this

a tin or 2 of chickpeas
2 tins chopped tomates
3 big spoons peanutbutter
2-3 dl veg stock
1 big chopped onion or a handful of chopped shallots
half a spoon currypowder
and after what you like yourself:
a squeeze of tomato puree
pinch oregano
chilipowder or fresh chilis
salt
blackpepper
splash of ketchup

i normally also add a few fresh chopped tomatoes, perhaps some sweet potatoes, what ever veg i got home really

im sorry its not exact but i dont have a recepie, i just use what i got really n do how i feel



also something i love is boil rice n lentils. Fry some shallots and garlic, chilis and aubergine, perhaps some broccoli, peas whatever veg you got. mix in the rice in the pan and add maybe some lemonjuice, some spices, soyasauce, maggi liquid. I just use what i got home but i LOVE this.

x

 

[Miss]

Oh wow you girls are great!!!

I always thought I was a decent cook but that all changed when I realised I had no clue what to do with lentils and chickpeas lol

Pinky - I am already looking forward to trying your soup!!

Tinselcat -Both your recipes sound fab and so quick and easy - I can't wait to have a go!

Isobel - Oh I love your style of cooking! I cook a lot of meat based dishes that way, my best creations have been from raiding the fridge and cupboards and just throwing things together with spices etc

Hopefuly once I find out what lentils and chickpeas can do I will find more way to use them too!

Thanks again girls xxx

 

[Amy_J]

pasta with lentils is one of my fave italian dishes!!! boil the lentils with garlic and some onion and you cook the pasta in with the lentils (i use small pasta shapes), add parmesan cheese and VOILA.... its sooo yummyyyy