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I'd appreciate if anyone could share some recipes involving lentils.

I'm particuarly looking for a dhal recipe and a sausage and lentil casserole but any and all are very welcome.

Thankyou in advance.

You can't go wrong with Delia. I love this Dhal recipe.

Thankyou Stirling.That sounds delicious. I'll make it tomorrow.

Easy sausage & lentil casserole:

Chop up a couple of onions, peppers & carrots. Saute in a big non-stick saucepan with a spoonful of oil. Meanwhile, brown sausages in a separate frying pan - they don't need to cook through, just colour them.

Halve & add to big pan. Pour in a tin of tomatoes, & a tinful of water. Add (sorry - cheat alert) a packet of Colman's Sausage Casserole Mix. Chuck in two big handfuls of red lentils. Add thinly sliced mushrooms if liked.

Cook on gentle simmer on hob for 40-60 minutes - lentils should be soft but not total mush - you may need to add more water.

Can be further eked out by addition of cheap baked beans! Serve with mash.

Here's a sausage and lentil one I make a lot, got it from Good Food mag years ago. Serves 6.

1 tbsp veg oil
130g packet of cubed pancetta/diced bacon
2 packets sausages
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped small
garlic if wished
couple of sprigs fresh rosemary
300g Puy/green lentils
850ml hot stock (I use Marigold veg, the recipe says chicken)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
chopped parsley to serve

1. Heat oil, add pancetta and saus and sizzle for 10 minutes until saus are browned. They don't need to cook through. Scoop out onto plate. (Or do as I do and do thes saus/pancetta in one pan and the veg in another at the same time, then add together)

2. Put in onions, carrot and garlic and cook few minutes till onion softens.

3. Return saus to pan, add rosemary (I chop it and leave it in), lentils, stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper.

4. Bring to boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every so often, until lentils are tender.

5. Scatter over parsley (if using - I don't) and serve.

I have made this so many times, never exactly the same twice. Have left out the pancetta many times, but it is nicer with. One change I often make is to use half the lentils only, and put in a tin of black-eyed beans instead.

It freezes really well. I usually make this large quantity and freeze half.

Puy lentils make a fab lasagne - fry a couple of onions and some garlic but don't let them go brown. Add a couple of diced carrots and some puy lentils (prob about half a box) then cook in red wine and stock plus some spices of your choice until done. meanwhile roast some red onions and peppers and courgettes if you like them. Stir these into the lentils when lentils are done and use this instead of the meaty layer in lasagne.

Red lentils make a great soup - fry onion, carrot, garlic, sweet potatoes, maybe parsnip. Add turmeric, cumin seeds, chilli etc then red lentils, passata, coconut milk and water as needed. Cook then blend.

Chick pea and lentil curry/dhal:
chop and fry onion, carrot, mushrooms (any veg you like really), then add curry powder, a squidge of tomato puree and a splosh of Worcestershire sauce and fry for another minute or so.
Add some lentils and stir, then add boiling water. Simmer for about 25 mins (until the lentils have collapsed and the veg is tender). Add the (cooked) chick peas at the end just to heat through.
This will freeze as well.

this is nice - goats cheese and walnut lentil salad

I cut down on the salt though and the dressing is v garlicky!

Just wanted to add: sorry there are no quantities for the above - it's a total make it up as you go along thing!

de ja vu

HAve you looked in the MN recipe section?

Do a search for old threads, there are requests for lentil recipes every few weeks it seems

Thankyou everyone. These all sound delicious and I will try all of them.

I never really venture near the recipe section. I've no idea why.

Puy lentil lasagne sounds fab janeite, I'll be trying that one.

Hope you enjoy it. I usually stick a bay leaf in whilst the lentils are cooking plus a couple of cardomon pods then fish them out when cooked. Sometimes I add half a lemon as well and fish it out when lentils are done. Often I use port instead of wine, as I always have a bottle of port in but rarely buy wine.

will be checking out a few of these!

Spread frozen Linda MCartney sausages (vegan) in an oven proof dish.

Pour over these a slow hob-cooked mixture of tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, onion, garlic, sweet potato, tinned toms, tom puree, olive oil, tiny bit of brown sugar, and pre-simmered lentils or non pre-simmered tinned lentils.

Cook slowly covered in oven until you think it's ready.

Serve with brown rice and lots of fresh coriander.

Hi,
Here in Greece a lentil soup/stew is popular with many variations on how to make it! This is how I make mine, more of a stew and served with feta cheese and bread....mmmmmmm

half a packet of lentils in cold water, boil and then simmer for around 20 mins.
Whilst they are cooking chop/grate:
a medium onion finely chopped
some celery chopped
2/3 carrots grated
2/3 potatoes grated
a small red pepper chopped finely

Drain and rinse lentils in cold water, place back in pan and cover in fresh cold water, add the above and :
some dried oregano
dash of olive oil
some tomato sauce (either 2/3 grated toms or a carton )
salt, pepper

simmer for around an hour.

Try indian recipes for dahl