Wondering how to cook black lentils? Easy and healthy, black lentils can help you make a filling vegan main dish or lentil recipes for side dishes. I’m showing you the best way to elevate the earthy flavor of these tasty lens-shaped legumes to get that dietary fiber you need.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy: Black lentils are a healthy choice that you can add to your meal. Whether you’re using them as an ingredient in your vegan main dish or as a side dish to round out a meal, you’re getting the best benefits for your health.
- Easy to cook: Your stovetop or Instant Pot makes it easy to cook black lentils for any use. Once you see how easy these are to make, you’ll be adding them to everything!
- Delicious: Nutty flavor and earthiness combine to give black lentils a unique taste over red lentils, brown lentils, and other varieties of lentils. You’ve got to try them! If you are looking for a delicious recipe to go with these black lentils, I would try this Naan recipe without yogurt. Enjoy!
About Black Lentils
Black lentils are also commonly known as Urad Dal, black beluga lentils, beluga caviar, or caviar lentils. (They do resemble caviar a bit). Of course, they are plant-based, but they do have a resemblance.
They’re very pretty, but they are brimming with nutrition for you. With loads of fiber and resistance to getting mushy like the other varieties of lentils, you’re really going to love these.
Ingredients + Notes
- Lentils: All you need are black lentils for this recipe, though you can also use these same methods on red lentils, brown lentils, green lentils, and yellow lentils too.
- Water: The ratio of lentils to water is 1 cup of lentils to 3 cups of water. So if you want to make even more, keep that ratio in mind.
- Salt: Salt adds just a hint of flavor to your black lentils. See my recipe variations below to find out how you can add other flavors.
Step-by-step Instructions: How To Cook Black Lentils
*Cooking black lentils on the stovetop is quick and easy. Be sure to pay extra attention around 15 minutes in to ensure the ideal texture is reached.
1. Rinse lentils thoroughly.
2. Boil water in a small or medium saucepan or stock pot.
3. Add black lentils, salt, and any aromatics you like when the water starts to boil.
4. Turn down to a simmer (low-medium heat).
5. Cook until the preferred texture is reached.
- For a firm texture, cook for 15 minutes.
- For soft, tender black lentils, cook for a total of 17 minutes.
- For very soft, cook black lentils for 20 minutes total.
6. Strain lentils and use them as desired.
Full Recipe Video
Recipe Variations
- Fresh Herbs: Things like thyme, rosemary, sage, and other fresh herbs can all add more flavor healthily and naturally.
- Dried Herbs: Bay leaf is another wonderful thing you can add to your pot of black lentils. These add such a superb flavor…just make sure you remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Spices: Try adding some crushed garlic, black pepper, or even chili powder. Experimenting with flavors is the best way to fall in love with black lentils.
- Aromatic vegetables: Adding aromatic veggies to these caviar lentils adds beautiful depth. Add garlic, leeks, celery, shallots, scallions, or yellow or red onion to this beluga caviar.
- Plant-based Milk: Adding in some of your favorite non-dairy milk can give this a creamy context. Think coconut milk, and you could have an Indian dal that makes everyone eat every last bite!
- Vegetable Broth or Bouillon: Instead of water, try vegetable broth or bouillon to infuse more flavor in the cooking process.
How To Cook Black Lentils In An Instant Pot
Cooking black lentils in an Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker is easy. There can be less control over how thoroughly cooked they become, though. If your goal is firmer lentils, then cooking them on the stovetop may be your best option.
1. Rinse the black lentils thoroughly.
2. Add 1 cup of black lentils and 2 cups of water to your Instant Pot.
3. Set your Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
4. Naturally, let the pressure release for 10 minutes.
5. Release the remaining steam by setting the steam release valve to “venting.”
6. Strain any remaining water and use the cooked black lentils as desired.
- For firmer black lentils, cook for 6 minutes.
- For soft, tender black lentils, cook for a total of 8 minutes.
- For very soft, cooked black lentils for 10 minutes.
Storage Tips
Black lentils store wonderfully in your fridge or freezer!
Fridge
Store cooked black lentils in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. If you are hoping to read the week mark, then I would highly recommend storing them in an airtight glass food storage container. A mason jar or similar glass canning jar works great for this. Alternatively, glass Tupperware (usually sold with a plastic lid) is great, too.
Freezer
Storing cooked lentils in the freezer for up to six months is a great choice for meal prep. Freezing different types of cooked lentils in a silicone food storage bag like a Stasher or another freezer-safe food storage container is an excellent choice.
More Plant-based Cooking Tips
Black lentil salad is delicious! Add in cubed sweet potatoes, greens, and a Dijon mustard and maple syrup-based dressing. Try these beluga lentils in a burrito bowl or make a wrap. And, of course, Indian cuisine is built for ingredients like black lentils, so let them be the star of your garam masala or dal makhani.
FAQ
Black lentils do not need to be soaked first. You can if you like, but it’s not necessary. What IS necessary is rinsing them off before you start cooking with them.
Give them a quick taste and you’ll know! It all depends on your desired texture. If you want them firm on the stovetop, that will take 15 minutes as opposed to 6 minutes in the Instant Pot. If you want them soft, go for 20 minutes on the stovetop while keeping them to 8 minutes in the Instant Pot.
You do not need to cover your lentils when you cook them on the stovetop.
You’ll be able to tell when you give them a quick taste. For firm ones, they should be a bit al dente. If they’re still too hard inside, let them cook a little longer until you like the texture.
More Plant-based Cooking Tips
With black lentils, you can make salads with these legumes, sweet potatoes, and a Dijon mustard and maple syrup-based dressing. Try a burrito bowl or make a wrap. And, of course, Middle Eastern cuisine and Indian dishes are built for ingredients like black lentils, so let them be the star of your garam masala or dal makhani.
Recipe
How To Cook Black Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup black lentils
- 3 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Black Lentils On The Stovetop
- Rinse lentils thoroughly.
- Boil water in a small or medium saucepan.
- Add black lentils, salt, and any aromatics you like when the water starts to boil.
- Turn down to a simmer (low-medium heat).
- Cook until the preferred texture is reached.
- Strain lentils and use them as desired.– For a firm texture, cook for 15 minutes.– For soft, tender black lentils, cook for a total of 17 minutes.– For very soft, cook black lentils for 20 minutes total.
How To Cook Black Lentils In An Instant Pot
- Rinse the black lentils thoroughly.
- Add 1 cup of black lentils and 2 cups of water to your Instant Pot.
- Set your Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Naturally, let the pressure release for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining steam by setting the steam release valve to “venting.”
- Strain any remaining water and use the cooked black lentils as desired.– For firmer black lentils, cook for 6 minutes. – For soft, tender black lentils, cook for a total of 8 minutes. – For very soft, cooked black lentils for 10 minutes.
Equipment
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This was great. I had never had black lentils before but they were perfectly tasty! I look forward to cooking more with them!
Yay!