Go Back
+ servings
how to cook red lentils
Print

How To Cook Red Lentils (Stove Top And Instant Pot)

Red split lentils is a very easy to cook lentil which is perfect for making soups, curry, salads, burgers etc.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword how to cook red lentils, red lentils
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 249kcal
Author PA

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red split lentils
  • 3 cups water
  • salt adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

for seasoning (optional):

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

for easy red lentil dal soup (optional):

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Instructions

Stove top directions

  • Rinse the red lentils very well and add to a saucepan. Make sure to use a large sized saucepan or the contents can boil over creating a liquid mess, while you cook them!
  • Add salt and 3 cups of water, mix well with the dal and bring the mixture to a quick boil.
  • As soon as the mixture starts boiling, add the olive oil and lemon juice, stir well.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with lid and if you want al dente lentils, you can cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully open the pan and see if it's cooked.
  • By 3 minutes itself, the lentils may turn soft so make sure to check at 2 minutes mark.
    Lentils should be completely cooked before you eat them since they have some toxicity in it's raw form. So make sure you have completely cooked them even if you do not want them very soft.
    Also, if you plan to use them regularly, it is a good idea to cook them until very soft and make soup which is more healthier!
  • Once the lentils is cooked to your preference, stop the cooking and discard any remaining liquid or you may use the leftover liquid (if there is any) in making any soup or curry.
  • You can use a large slotted spoon or spatula to easily separate the lentils from the water and transfer the cooked lentils to a serving dish.
  • Season with black pepper, garlic and onion powders or any spices of your choice, or use in any recipes you want.
  • If you want the cooked lentils to be used in recipes like soup, reduce the heat to low, cover with lid and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes until completely cooked & tender or until very soft in texture.
  • If the saucepan is not large enough, the liquids from the pan may boil over and overflow causing a liquid mess, so it is a good idea to watch the pan.
  • In case it boil over, you may open the pan carefully, give a good stir and simmer the contents while keeping the pan open.
  • This may take longer to cook, and you may need to add extra water in case the water evaporates before the lentils are completely cooked.

To make easy red lentil dal soup

  • Once the lentils are cooked soft, simmer another couple of minutes and mash the cooked lentils a bit using a ladle, if needed.
  • Add the spice powders for the dal (turmeric, red chili powder, black pepper powder, garlic powder and onion powder), stir well to mix with the dal and simmer for a couple of minutes so the spices will blend well with the dal soup.
  • Add heavy cream or coconut milk and mix well to combine with the dal soup. Serve hot as a soup or serve as an easy, delicious dal curry with rice for a simple, delicious lunch or dinner!

Instant pot directions

  • To cook the red lentils in instant pot pressure cooker, you can add all ingredients to the instant pot and stir well.
  • Then close the instant pot with lid in sealing position, cook in high pressure for 6 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release, for very soft cooked lentils if you want to make soup or dal.
  • If you want al dente dal, stove top method is the best, because you can check the texture of the dal while cooking.
  • However, if you need to do this in the instant pot, cook in high pressure for 0 minutes and you will need to do a quick release once it's done to make al dente red lentils for salads in the instant pot (I do not recommend this method though since the texture can turn mushy very fast in the instant pot and also you need to be very careful with the quick release since the steam can be very hot. For al dente red lentils, the best way is to cook them on stove top so you can control the cooking time).

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 4mg