Lentil porridge

Lentils - legumes, which means that it contains a lot of protein. That is why lentil porridge, the recipes of which are given in this article, is very popular among vegetarians and fasting people, because they do not eat milk and meat. Moreover, lentils are pure eco-friendly products, since they cannot accumulate radionuclides, toxic elements and nitrates.

Lentil porridge: the benefits and harm

Lentil is considered an antidepressant, because it has been proven that its regular use can provide emotional balance and complete peace of mind. Lentil porridge does not do any harm: it can be included in the diet of almost everyone.

Lentil boosts immunity, raises the overall tone of the body. It is recommended to use this dish for heart diseases, problems of the digestive system or diabetes. Due to the absence of fat and a large amount of dietary fiber, this product is simply indispensable for anyone who wants to lose some weight.

Lentil porridge is very useful for pregnant women, because it contains a lot of folic acid, as well as iron, which are especially needed during the development of the baby.

Among the contraindications is to highlight the individual intolerance of lentils, diseases of the joints and gout.

How to cook porridge from green lentils?

Composition:

• 1 tbsp. lentils;
• 1 onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 parsley root;
• seasonings, bay leaf;
• water.

Cooking:

1. First of all, you need to thoroughly wash the lentils and leave it overnight in water.
2. In the morning it should be washed again, add a liter of water, put to boil. When the water boils, turn down the heat a little.
3. Peel the carrots with parsley and cut into small strips.
4. Add vegetables to lentils. Close the porridge lid, leaving a hole for steam. If you do not know how much the lentils are boiled, then you need to constantly monitor that it is not digested. Porridge will be ready in about half an hour. The water should evaporate a little.
   
5. While the porridge is cooked, you need to chop the onion.
6. After 15 minutes after boiling porridge add seasoning, bay leaf and chopped onion and salt everything. Leave it to cook for another quarter of an hour, and then season the finished porridge with garlic and let it brew.

Cook porridge from red lentils

Composition:

• 2 tbsp. red lentils;
• 3 tbsp. water;
• 2 tsp. curry;
• sunflower oil;
• 1 tsp. cinnamon;
• 3 handfuls of raisins;
• 2 tbsp. l cognac;
• 1 large onion;
• 3 carrots;
• salt and pepper.

Cooking:

1. Cut carrots: first divide into four parts, and then chop. Onions should be cut into small cubes.
2. Pour the raisin brandy and 4 tbsp. l water, then leave it to infuse.
3. Pour some butter into the pan, fry the carrots and onions.
4. Now you need to wash the lentils, pour it into the pan, add curry with cinnamon, pour all the water.
5. Drain the raisins and add them to the pan.
6. When the mixture boils, turn down the heat and cook until the lentils are soft. It takes about a quarter of an hour to do this, but if the lentil is too hard after the time expires, add ½ tbsp. water and boil porridge still.
7. Add pepper and salt.

Culinary secrets

Lentils are very similar in their properties to beans, but it is much faster to cook. There are several varieties of this product - porridge from lentils in a slow cooker will be obtained from any.

When cooking lentils in a multicooker, the following features should be considered:

• it is possible not to soak it - the only exception is black grains;

• Cooking porridge from lentils in a slow cooker is necessary in the program "Stewing" - this mode will allow the dish to warm up evenly;
• if you need to cook any more ingredients, this should be done first, and lentils are added later, as it is cooked faster;
• Before cooking, it is necessary to sort out the lentils well, and then wash them thoroughly;
• To keep the kernels intact while cooking, you must use green lentils;
• for mashed potatoes, porridge will suit Egyptian or red lentils;
• Lentil is undesirable to cook separately: porridge will be tastier if it is supplemented with spices, vegetables or meat.

Lentils are a very useful product. Lentil porridge is an important component of the diet of people with diabetes, as well as those who adhere to a diet. There are many different recipes for cooking lentils, and they are all quite simple. Cook with pleasure!