Keep a finger on pulses

Renown for their earthy flavour, lentils are quick and easy to cook. Unlike other dried pulses which need overnight soaking, lentils can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. For even greater convenience, some lentils are available canned.

BROWN LENTILS

These are the most inexpensive and easily obtainable. They have a mild flavour and hold their shape well during cooking. Suitable for use in soups, stews and salads. These lentils are available canned.

RED LENTILS

These lentils have a slightly sweeter flavour than the brown ones. They take less time to cook and tend to become mushy if overcooked. Suitable for soups, stews and dhal.

PUY LENTILS

These are the finest, but most expensive lentil. They are meaty, rich tasting and retain their shape when cooked. Originally grown in the volcanic soil in Puy, France, they are now also grown in North America and Italy. Ideal especially for salads but also used in soups and stews.

COOKING LENTILS

Before cooking, it is advisable to rinse lentils in cold water and pick through them for any little stones or damaged lentils which you should discard. A general rule is to use three times as much water as lentils and do not add anything to the cooking water.

LENTIL BURGERS

Serves 4

8 slices Cape seed bread

400g can brown lentils, drained and rinsed

60ml chopped parsley

60ml chopped coriander

2 garlic cloves, crushed

10ml chopped ginger

10ml ground cumin

10ml ground coriander

1 egg

salt and pepper

Put the bread in a food processor and process to form coarse crumbs.

Add the lentils, parsley, coriander, garlic, ginger and cumin, ground coriander and egg. Season well. Process until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl. Shape mixture into 4-6 patties depending on how big you want them, place on a board and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Brush patties with olive oil and cook on a griddle pan for about 4 minutes each side until cooked through and brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve on a toasted bun with sliced tomato and onion.

LENTIL STUFFED BUTTERNUT

Serves 4

2 butternuts

15ml olive oil

150g Puy lentils

3 onions, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

15ml cumin seeds

15ml ground cumin

7ml paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

250g feta cheese, crumbled

60g pine nuts

45ml chopped mint

45ml chopped flat-leaf parsley

juice of 1 lemon

60ml pomegranate seeds (optional)

Wash butternut and cut it in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds.

Put the halves on a baking tray, cut side up, and drizzle with olive oil. Season and roast in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Simmer the lentils for about 30 minutes until soft. Drain and rinse. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out some flesh, leaving a border of 1cm. Roughly chop the flesh and put it in a bowl.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and garlic and cook until it begins to caramelise, about 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the lentils, butternut and 250ml of hot water. Simmer until most of the water has been absorbed.

Remove from heat and stir in the feta, pine nuts, herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture equally between butternut halves and cook in the oven at '176C for 10-15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

RED LENTIL TABOULEH

Serves 4

375ml water

5ml ground cinnamon

5ml salt

250ml bulgur wheat

250ml red lentils, rinsed

60ml pine nuts, toasted

125ml chopped pitted dates

125ml chopped dried apricots

125ml chopped parsley

80ml chopped mint

100ml olive oil

60ml lemon juice

10ml grated lemon rind

Bring water, cinnamon and salt to the boil in a small saucepan. Stir in bulgur wheat. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside until the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

Put lentils in a saucepan, add enough water to cover by 2cm and add a pinch of salt. Simmer until lentils are just tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, pressing firmly to remove excess water.

Combine lentils, bulgur wheat, half the pine nuts, all the dried fruit and herbs and toss to combine. Put the olive oil, lemon juice and rind into a screw top jar and shake well. Pour over salad and mix well.

Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.

RICE AND LENTILS

Serves 6-8

250ml brown lentils

2 large onions

60ml olive oil

375ml basmati rice, washed and drained

500ml water

10ml salt

Wash lentils. Slice onions finely and fry in oil until golden. Remove half the onions and place on absorbent paper.

Boil lentils in the water until nearly tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Put the rice in a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the lentils, the onions and oil in the pan. Add salt, cover tightly, turn down the heat and simmer until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold, garnished with remaining onions.

• This article was originally published on page 12 of The Star on November 16, 2009

Source : Babynet