How to Cook Lentils (Stovetop and Instant Pot)
How to cook chickpeas using two different methods, perfectly cooked chickpeas every time!
- Prep Time: 8 hours (only if soaking them)
- Cook Time: Cooking time: 15 minutes for Instant pot /50 minutes for stovetop
- Total Time: 15 min - 8 hours
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Kitchen Basics
Ingredients
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- 1 cup dried lentils (brown, green, black…just not red lentils)
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- 4 cups water
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- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional:
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- 2 bay leaves
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- 1 garlic cloves
Instructions
Stovetop method:
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- Go through the lentils cleaning any small debris or bad lentils.
- Rinse the lentils using a fine mesh strainer, under running water.
- Add the cleaned lentils to a pot and add 4 cups of water. Add the salt, bay leaves, and garlic clove. Bring to a boil and then cook on very low for 30 minutes.
Pressure cooker method:
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- Go through the lentils cleaning any small debris or bad lentils.
- Rinse the lentils using a fine mesh strainer, under running water.
- Add the cleaned lentils to the pressure cooker or instant pot and add 2 cups of water. Add the salt, bay leaves, and smashed garlic cloves.
- Close the lid and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Leave it untouched for additional 10 minutes to do a natural release and then move the pressure valve to release any remaining pressure.
Notes
Different types of lentils might need different cooking times, for example, green lentils take 18-20 minutes, while black lentils might need up to 30 mins.
Just don’t use red lentils since they are usually peeled and end up very mushy. They are best used in curries and soups.
Like chickpeas, you can soak them beforehand to cut the cooking time considerably, however, lentils cook much faster and it’s not as time-consuming so I don’t find particularly needed to soak them beforehand.
Cooked lentils can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Can be used in salads or as side dishes.
Find it online: https://livelytable.com/how-to-cook-lentils/