What's the best way to cook red lentils, bulgur wheat, or quinoa?

[DrRichardCranium]

I got red lentils because they look smaller than the normal brown lentils, and might therefor cook faster.

I was going to try to experiment with these lentils & bulgur wheat & quinoa to find the most fuel-efficient & easiest way to cook them.

but I was hoping other people might have some experience with them so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. Note that I will NOT be using a dehydrator.

So does pre-soaking help? On the packagage they say to simmer the lentils for 30 minutes, but can you just simmer for 5 & then put them in an insulated cozy?

On the stove I've noticed you have to cook red quinoa for at least 15-20 minutes, and if you undercook it, it goes right through you.:eek: Again, is there a reliable way to cook them with less time over the flame? Does pre-soaking help?

[gunner76]

The few times I have tried cooking red lintels they turn to mush.

[Snowleopard]

I use red lentils at home. They do cook faster than other lentils or beans. Presoaking them makes the cooking faster. Presoaking in hot water is even faster. I haven't tried them in a cozy. Usually I use a pressure cooker which makes it really fast, but a 2 lb it's kind of heavy for the trail.

Recipe for lentil soup:
wash the lentils in a couple changes of water (this helps to keep them from foaming over)
brown a clove or two of garlic in olive oil
add water (better add vegetable or chicken bouillon)
add lentils (about 1 cup of lentils for 2 to 3 cups of water)
add parsley (or basil or oregano) to taste (maybe 1 tablespoon)
add pepper to taste
add salt to taste (if the soup is a bit bland, use soy sauce in place of some of the salt)
Options: barley is good (maybe 2/3 cup of lentils, 1/3 cup of barley to 2.5 cups of water, or use quinoa or rice in place of barley)
Add carrots or potatoes or spinach or all three.

It is harder to catch them at the stage of distinct separate lentils as opposed to a soup. Still, as a soup they're great. I haven't tried putting them into a cozy, but I'll try it sometime.

White quinoa cooks faster than white rice; I used to use it instead of rice when I was in a hurry (again, at home not on the trail).

Red lentils can be cooked as dal (spicy Indian soup), search lentil dal on google for spicing.

[Ender]

Quinoa is seriously the easiest thing to cook... 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water in a pot, bring to a boil, stir, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Done. Another way, almost as good, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly (otherwise it'll boil over), remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Done.

As far as how to cook it on the trail... I use an alcohol stove, so it'd probably be a mix of these two methods. Bring to a boil, then remove the wind screen which makes it easier to simmer. Watch the pot until the fuel burns out, let it sit for however long it takes to do whatever other chores I'm doing. Eat.

And for recipes, treat it just like rice and add whatever you want to it. I in fact just had a bowl of the stuff here at home not even 30 minutes ago, and I usually just eat it w/ butter and salt. On the trail, I'd probably just add salt, or even eat it plain. It's delish. Or cook up some veggies and mix them in. Or cook up some ground beef (dehydrated for the trail) and mix it in. I also love to mix in those Goya flavor packets for a change of pace. Mmmmmm.

[grayfox]

Bulgur is ready-to-go as backpacking food. Just add warm water, let stand covered for 5-10 minutes, then add veggies and herbs and anything you like. It is what Tabuli is made of. It is precooked so you just add water. You can use as you would instant rice. It is a whole grain so it should smell fresh and not rancid when you open the package. Check date on package carefully and buy freshest.

Red lentils cook a lot like split peas. The flavor is more delicate than brown. I add them to soup but have seen them in dessert type food. They cook a bit quicker but are not like gren or brown. Put lentils in the blender for just a quick spin and they will cook quicker. I like one part lentils, one part quick barley, and two parts instant brown rice--boil for about five min then cozy for ten to fifteen.

Quinoa is a horse of another color. First you must wash the grains to remove the soapy natural coating. People actually use the liquid as soap so it will not improve your digestion in any way--keep washing til there is no foam. Then you can boil it for a few min until it seems done. It has a crunch even when done-kind of fun to eat. You can also add the washed grains to butter and saute it a bit before adding water or stock. It is kind of bland and will take on the flavor of anything you add to it. I wish someone would make an instant version because it is hard to wash it in the field. It is supposed to be good for you.

Grains, especially whole grains, need to be really fresh. Keep them in the freezer at home. If it smells 'off' in the package, it will taste bad after cooking too. Grits can be made tastier if you add a bit of sugar to the water.

Hope this helps.

[SoonerTex]

Snowleopard the lentil soup with variations you added at end sounds really good. How long do you cook it for? And did I understand correctly that you have only done this in a pressure cooker. I am instant rice and cous-coused out and looking for alternatives. Thanks SoonerTex

[Snowleopard]

Snowleopard the lentil soup with variations you added at end sounds really good. How long do you cook it for? And did I understand correctly that you have only done this in a pressure cooker. I am instant rice and cous-coused out and looking for alternatives. Thanks SoonerTex
It'll work fine without a pressure cooker. Just cook it till the lentils (and if you use them, grains, potatoes and carrots) are done. :) Simmering on low about 30 minutes sounds about right for red lentils without much presoaking, but really just simmer till the lentils and grains are soft not crunchy. Cooking in a cozy might work well. On a stove you have to be a little careful not to scorch the lentils or run out of water. If I wanted to be careful with the amount of fuel hiking, I'd bring it up to a simmer then let it sit off the stove for 20 minutes or so; if it's not done, simmer it some more.

Less water makes it like a stew (especially good with potatoes), more water makes it more soupy.

[GGS2]

Trail cooking things like lentils and rice is easy if you are prepared. What I do is boil water, pour into a wide-mouth container like a Nalgene with the grain, insert into a cosy or into my pack somewhere that is well insulated. Then I carry it all day, and reheat it at the end of the day after adding whatever else I want, seasonings etc.

Point 1: This is a no-excess water technique. Don't put more boiling water in than will be absorbed.
Point 2: Test well before hand. Some grains like brown lentils or beans simply need more cooking than this. If you want to use these things, cook and dry at home.
Point 3: As with the par-cooking or par soaking in point 2, if any grains need pre-treatments, like washing or soaking, it is best to do this at home, then dry for the trail.
Point 4: All of the par-cooking, etc., is basically a fuel and time saving technique for the trail. If you are camping and would rather spend the time out there than in your kitchen, go wild.

Finally, there are many kinds of lentils. They all require a slightly different technique. Test in you own home kitchen before taking them out on the trail. In particular, brown lentils and beans need more cooking, beans and quinoa require soaking to leach out undesirable sugars and saponins.

Trail cooking is not different than kitchen cooking, but you can cut corners by doing things in advance in the kitchen. So you can test everything in the kitchen, and in any case, you need to learn how to cook whatever food you are dealing with. Buy a few books and read. Easy.

[SoonerTex]

Thanks Snowleopard. Less water (stew) even sounds better. Im trying it tomorrow. You are right GGS2 about trying stuff in the kitchen. I just never plan ahead and end up with the same old stuff.

[GGS2]

If you are new to lentil and rice cooking, you might want to search out an ethnic Indian grocery and ask the people there. The combination, called kichuri (many spelling variants) is a staple meal for I would guess most Indians. That's close to a billion people. There are many regional variants to flavoring, which can enliven your staple dish. They usually include the yellow spice turmeric, which is very healthy, and some variation on Garam Masala, which means hot (warm) spice mixture. However, any ethnic Indian grocer will carry lots of curries which can be cooked with kichuri. And kichuri is also traditionally cooked with butter or oil, so you can increase the calorie content to the max very easily. One of my favorites is about 3-4 parts rice and 1 part yellow or red dal (lentils), cooked together with lots of butter, and any curry spices I have on hand. The butter and spices get cooked a little bit in the pot before adding the rice and dal to simmer until the water is absorbed. Cooked this way, the spice and butter make a sauce for the rice and dal. If the dal is cooked to paste consistency (normal for some yellow and red lentils), the sauce is thicker and delicious. This is cookery at its most basic, but with all sorts of possibilities for variation if you want it. If you want it more calorie dense, add more butter or oil. Olive oil works just fine. The finest rice is basmati, but any long grain rice will do. If you want to use an instant rice, add everything else before and soak in a cosy, then add the rice last and bring to a boil, let sit for a bit and enjoy.

And if this is boring after a while, try the Italian version, pasta fazool. Usually done with short pasta, brown lentils, olive oil and garlic. I've never tried precooking this and drying, but I'm sure there's a way. I think I'd just parcook and dry the lentils, and cook everything else on the trail by the cosy method. Garlic powder works just fine, but garlic salt is too much sodium for me. Add whatever herbs and spices turn you on. Mix and match with the kichuri ingredients.

Most of the good trail food I find is just peasant food adapted to trail cookery methods. Peasants (farmers) require the same things that hikers do: calories in a dense form, a small portion of proteins with vitamins mixed in.

[LaurieAnn]

You can shorten the cook time slightly and enhance the flavor of quinoa at home. After I rinse it I spread it in a pre-heated frypan and gently toast the grains until they start to jump/pop in the pan. It cuts a few minutes off the cook time and tastes better that way. The variety I buy usually cooks in 10 - 15 minutes. Too bad you aren't into dehydrating as you can really reduce your fuel usage for things like lentils and quinoa.

Red lentils do cook faster and will get very soft. I generally prefer to use them for lentil soups, lentil dips and Masoor Dhal.

[Safety Pins]

I soak lentils in a small, tightly covered plastic jar in the a.m., and at the end of the day's hike, cook with a like amount of instant brown rice. They should cook uniformly, and are really good with a little oil (or not) and a little curry, or chili spice, or whatever you like. S.P.

[GGS2]

LaurieAnn is right about the popping. You can also pop rice, often called puffed rice. If you do this in the oil/butter/spice mixture. you can then cook it in water with the dal. It makes a smother mixture, like a soup or stew. Many spices, seeds, can also be popped. It is easier than grinding them, and they have a different flavor that way. Read and experiment. It all gets easier when you understand the basics of cooking the standard ingredients. Then there are specialist books like Laurie Ann's.

[sarbar]

Not all quinoa needs to be rinsed. Much of it is done for you now. Read the package carefully when you buy it. It should tell you either way. If it doesn't then DO rinse it. Otherwise get a prepped type and save the time. (The type we get at Trader Joe's is already done for you)

I have precooked and dehydrated quinoa at home for "instant" on the trail. Not hard at all, just treat it like rice when drying.

[Ender]

Not all quinoa needs to be rinsed. Much of it is done for you now. Read the package carefully when you buy it. It should tell you either way. If it doesn't then DO rinse it. Otherwise get a prepped type and save the time. (The type we get at Trader Joe's is already done for you)

I have precooked and dehydrated quinoa at home for "instant" on the trail. Not hard at all, just treat it like rice when drying.

Agreed. All the quinoa I've bought thus far has been pre-rinsed.

Also, you can dry toast it first in a pan to give it a toasted flavor, and then cook it as normal. Just be careful not to burn it when toasting it.

[sarbar]

And let me add....with lentils? I just buy them ready to use on the trail:
http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/Lentils_c_30.html

No cooking, no drying. They just need to rehydrate in hot or cool water and are ready to go. I use them for "salads" often. Heck, I use them at home :p Way too easy!

[gtg]

I, when not on trail rely big time on lentils, beans, quinoa and mung beans as staples in my diet. I actually have a preference to the flavor of the orange or red lentils, they usually come from Turkey and seem to cost a bit more. I am old school on always washing quinoa and both at home and in camp I have if I have the time tried the toasting method mentioned. I have soaked both while on trail but doesn’t seem to be necessary. I tend to mix large amounts of spice and dehydrated vegetables right into the boiling mixture. Yes I have had good luck using the cozy method with them. I do tend to carry some ginger root with me in that it has a warming effect on cold evenings and it is supposed to settle the tummy and I like it. I do also use lots of curry seasoning also good if your toasting the quinoa also good thing to toast the curry spices. One thing if using turmeric as suggested and yes like ginger actually with ginger it is good for you, but be warned turmeric root as well as ground turmeric tend to leave a yellow stain that will last.

[Connie]

I like rice and split washed (no hulls) mung dal in many variations, "wet" or "dry" vegetarian or not vegetarian. The split washed mung dal (no dark green hulls) cook quickly. I believe the nutritional value is more bio-available, that is, more readily assimilated.

I learned to "roast" the fresh spices in a little ghee (clarified butter, needs no refrigeration) or oil. I have heard there is a folk-saying, in India, about the tumeric being not properly cooked (that is to say, tumeric is not meant to be raw).

This is good food: I get the best use out of my truly expensive freeze-dried vegetables in this "kitchuri".

Check it out: split washed mung dal and "roasted" spices (not burnt) with rice and practically anything, e.g. vegetable, meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, tofu, cheese. I never tried tofu or cheese, but I could like that.

I like simple food, but I also like this many variations "dish".

[Snowleopard]

I like rice and split washed (no hulls) mung dal in many variations, "wet" or "dry" vegetarian or not vegetarian.
...


Split chick peas are great too -- Chana dal in Indian groceries. It takes longer to cook than red lentils, but with Indian spices and coconut milk it's great.

[redmarbleshoe]

FYI there IS instant quinoa available. I buy it all the time. I add it to my oatmeal packet and some peanut butter for my breakfast ziplock.

I get my at a health food store, but you can google it and find it pretty easy.