cooking with lentils

[Principessa N]

Was up early this morning and i am making stew for my tea. I have some split red lentils that i was going to add, but having never eaten them before i have no idea what i'm doing with them. I really just want them to thicken the stew up. Do i need to pre cook them or just throw them in? how long will the take to cook?
Can someone please help me?

 

[funcurls]

You can just throw them in as I'm sure you're cooking the stew quite slowly anyway! Check the packet instructions just incase they recommend soaking them first but you should be fine!!X

 

[SpaceAngel]

You can throw them straight in, but make sure you cook them for 15 mins and you may need to skim the top of the stew, because they give out some "froth" lol

 

[funcurls]

Give them an hour!

 

[4busybee]

Just bung 'em in hun, red split lentils are fine dont need soaking

 

[avisk]

Red lentils are split, so they cook fairly quickly.

 

[BuzzyBee]

Chuck them in cold water, half a cup should do.
Bring a big pot to the boil.
Boil steadily for 15 minutes, skim excess froth.
Allow to simmer an extra 30-60 minutes.
It is ok to let them simmer longer.
They are bland and you may need extra flavouring/stock cubes added if the original recipe does not include lentils.
They're very rich in Iron...excellent food choice.

 

[trinity_bleu]

Just chuck them in - no need to preboil. I throw them into stews, spag bog, chilli ... everything! ... and if you cook for at least an hour on the hob or a few hours in the oven or slow cooker, they melt away.