how to cook orange lentils in the microwave?
How to cook orange lentils in the microwave?
I once tried and it ended up as a watery mash. What time, power, amount of water (any other things to take into account), should I use to avoid them being mushy?
Best Answer
It sounds like you pretty clearly had too much water, and maybe cooked too long and too hot. As for what to actually do: using a microwave doesn't mean you can't be flexible. You can figure out how to cook them the same way you could figure out how to cook many things in the microwave.
Start just enough water to cover the lentils. Cook it on high until it's nearly boiling; then reduce the power until it can keep going without boiling much. (That depends completely on your microwave; on mine it'd probably be in the 20-50% range.) Every couple minutes, have a peek. Make sure there's still enough water; stir them and see if they're done.
If you keep track of the total time, and the amount of water you had to add as you went along, you should be able to do it without much trouble next time. (And if you like, leave out the initial heating on high; that just saves some time.)
Mushiness can be caused by cooking too long, obviously, but also by cooking too hot. A rapid boil can help disintegrate things. It's especially tricky to avoid boiling in a microwave, since reducing power just makes it go off and on. Pay attention to how much it's boiling while it's on; while it's off it'll still be plenty hot.
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Quick Answer about "how to cook orange lentils in the microwave?"
How to microwave dried lentils. You can microwave dried lentils. Rinse as usual then put the lentils in a microwave-safe container and cover with water (usually three parts water to one part lentils) then loosely cover with a lid. Microwave on high for 10-14 minutes, stirring half-way through.How do you cook dried orange lentils?
Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes.How do you cook orange lentils fast?
How to Cook Orange LentilsCan you cook red lentils in microwave?
Red lentils cook more quickly than other varieties of lentils, which is great for time-pressed cooks. Using the microwave simplifies preparation and reduces cleanup, which is always a good thing! (I admit, is is odd not to saute the onions in olive oil, but trust me, microwaving them works well in this dish).Do you need to soak orange lentils?
Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.How to Cook Lentils in the Microwave
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