Lentils might not be the most delicious food in many cultures, but they are a staple of Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. Many people complain that lentils taste pretty bland. However, this doesn’t have to be the case with these highly nutritious legumes. By making small changes in the way you cook these, yours can be the most delicious lentil recipe.
Cooking lentils slow and low, combining the right varieties among red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils etc., using freshly ground spices, and garnishing with fresh herbs can greatly improve the flavor and aroma of your dish. But do you know that by changing your cookware, any lentil recipe not only tastes good but also retains nutrients lost in other cooking methods? Keep reading to learn more.
How cookware impacts the taste and nutritive value of food
Conventional cookware made from metals or ceramics are reactive. So, when foods like lentils are cooked in them, the cooking vessel leaches toxins. These toxins then react to nutrients, forming toxic compounds. Once ingested when eating the food, these compounds become hazardous to your health. Additionally, the harsh heat radiating from these materials destroys nutrients. This diminishes their nutritional value and alters the natural flavor of your ingredients. And you wonder why your taste buds don’t like lentils?
This begs the question: which is the healthiest cookware for preparing lentil recipes? Keep reading to discover more.
The healthiest cookware to cook lentils and other legumes tasty and nutritious
Based on what we know now about the dangers of reactive cookware, the healthiest cookware would be the one made from a non-reactive raw material. And what could be a better choice than the only time-tested and all-natural clay? But where in the world can you get such pure and healthy pots today ?
Miriams Earthen Cookware (MEC) is a US-based cookware brand making pots and pans from lab tested primary clay without additives. Unlike glossy and colorful show-pieces laden with toxic metals, chemicals, colors and glazes, these are free from all of this jargon. By handmaking these unglazed pots on a potter’s wheel, Miriams makes sure the final product is just as pure and nontoxic as the raw material.
Besides being a naturally inert cookware, it preserves nutrients by cooking with gentle far infrared heat. This unique heat penetrates deep into food and cooks thoroughly at low heat, allowing lentils to hold their shape. The lectins and phytates, which are anti-nutrients present in some beans and dry lentils, are completely cooked in the process. This is the case even when dried lentils are not pre-soaked. The fact that these anti-nutrients fully break down eases their digestion in the gut. The ergonomic design of the pot and the lid keeps water soluble nutrients locked in the form of steam. As a result, you can enjoy the distinctive taste of every type of lentil that you make in these healthy pots.
How to cook lentils in Miriam’s cookware?
Before you prepare your favorite lentil recipes, make sure you rinse the lentils in 1-2 changes of water. Pre-soaking is not needed when cooking in Miriams but it could reduce cooking time for certain varieties. Some lentils can cook with rice, the ones that require the same cook time.
Add one cup of dry lentil in 2 cups of water with select spices and raw veggies, cover the lid and let cook. Cooking time differs based on the kind of lentil used, but is about the same or less in MEC pot as it is in a metal pot. If applying light pressure when using a fork and it mashes a lentil, the dish is done.
With MEC, you can do away with adding oil first as it may break it into unhealthy trans-fats. Instead it is a good idea to start with equal amount of water and then add the initial ingredients like cumin seeds, onions, tomatoes (avoid tomato paste and other canned ingredients as it may contain preservatives), garam masala, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and root vegetables. Finally, add lentils and cook as usual.
However, you may sprinkle healthy oils like olive oil on top once your dish is fully done. Right after you turn the stove off, you can add additional seasonings on top like smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, black pepper, lemon juice etc. Then close the lid and let the flavors combine to make savory dishes that taste great.
Once you have mastered the basic technique for cooking these legumes in the healthiest cookware, you can expand your repertoire by using the same cooking method for: red lentils, French lentils, French green lentils, yellow lentils, Moroccan lentils, shriveled lentils, black lentils, beluga lentils, split red lentils, black beans, masoor dal and so on. Serve with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes as a comfort food or use cooked lentils to make lentil salads served with Dijon mustard, coconut milk or garnished with goat cheese.
With MEC’s healthy and nontoxic cooking, you can enjoy lentil recipes like lentil soups, lentil curry, lentil tacos, lentil puree, lentil salad and other recipes at home that taste so delicious that your usual side dish can be the main dish in your meal plan. Now that you know that when using MEC’s unglazed pots, your lentil recipes will cook quickly with minimum meal prep, will taste great, and retain all the nutrients, why don’t you try one yourself? Order the healthiest cookware at Miriams online store today!
Why Choose Healthy Cookware? 