How Long to Cook Lentils? Red, Green and Brown
Cooking time
- Red lentils
- 15 min
- Green or brown lentils
- 25 min
Red lentils cook in about 15 minutes, green and brown in about 25, with no soaking. Water ratio, when to salt and how to tell they are done.
Method
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve and pick out any small stones.
- Put them in a pan with about three times their volume of water, bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and start the timer.
- Drain green or brown lentils when tender but still holding their shape; red lentils break down into a purée, perfect for soups and dal.
Tips
- Lentils need no soaking, unlike most dried beans.
- Salt towards the end: salting at the start can keep the skins tough.
- Older lentils take longer; taste a few at the end of the time.
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