How to cook red lentils
Are you wanting to learn how to cook red lentils? It is so much easier than you might think! Let me show you me favorite ways.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 ¾ cups water or broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cooktop method
- Start by bringing your liquid and salt to a boil over medium heat.
- Rinse your lentils in a fine mesh strainer.
- Add in the lentils, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat. If there is extra liquid you can drain it off. If you want mushy lentils, cook them for 10-13 minutes.
Instant pot
- Rinse your lentils. Then add them, the liquid, and salt to the pressure cooker.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Release the pressure and they are ready. For mushy lentils, let the pressure naturally release for about 5-7 minutes.
Notes
- Cook with adequate liquid- To ensure that your lentils cook correctly, you will need lots of water. Measure lentils and water properly to avoid cooking issues. Be sure to use a dry measuring cup or food scale for lentils and a liquid measuring cup for water. Add the seasoning early to allow the flavors to be absorbed by the lentils as they cook. Consider cooking with broth for a more flavorful liquid option that will complement the other flavors in your dish. Before cooking, rinse the red lentils in a colander until cool water to remove dirt or any pebbles. Watch them during the cooking time and adjust as needed. The first couple of times you cook lentils may have a learning curve, but soon you'll learn your preference for their texture and find the magic number that allows you to have your ideal red lentil perfectly cooked every time.