This is the basic recipe for cooking lentils or beans. Many southern
and southwestern regional recipes call for cooked lentils or beans to
be stirred gently into a dish near the end of cooking. Therefore, it
may be a good idea ot make them a day ahead and have them ready when
you begin the actual cooking.
1.Pick lentils, peas, or beans clean and wash thoroughly in several
changes of water.
2.Put the lentils, peas,or beans in a deep pot along with the
tumeric and 4-1/2 cups water; bring to a boil. (Be careful, they foam
a lot.) Stir often to make sure they do not lump together. Cook over
medium heat, partially covered, for 40 minutes (25 minutes for red
lentils and mung beans).Cover, reduce heat, and continue cooking
for an additional 20 to 25 minutes (10 minutes for red lentils and
mung beans) or until soft.
3.Turn off heat and measure the puree.There should be 4-1/2 cups
puree; if not, add enough water to bring to that quanity. For a more
ground puree, beat lentils, peas, or beans with a whisk for 3 to 5
minutes. Cooked dal can be kept for 3 days, refrigerated. Cooked
lentils and beans thicken considerably and become gelatinous with
keeping.They also reduce in volume considerably. Therefore remember
to make allowance for such evaporation.
My Note:I always end up beating them with a whisk as it velvetizes
the soup.There is no need to use something like a food processor
.... I think it would end up making the ingredients too fine and
would ruin the texture of the soup.Also, I refrigerated them for
both 1 day and then later 2 days and found that indeed, it did
thicken .... I simply put them in a pot and added a cup or two of
water and simmered until I got the consistency I wanted .... thick
but with some liquid as this is not meant to be a soup in which a
spoon will stand up
Recipe By : Pat Gold
