Can you cook lentils in a rice cooker? Absolutely! And, once you know how, you'll never go back to cooking them on the stove top again.
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Lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They're a good source of plant based protein, plus they're high in fiber, making them an ideal addition to a vegan diet. Here's a breakdown of the nutritional value of ½ cup of green lentils:
One of the beauties of lentils is how versatile they are. They can be used to make everything from a vegan Bolognese sauce to healthy soups. They're so versatile and easy to cook. And, when you cook them in a rice cooker, they're a breeze to make!
Top Tip: Use lentils in this refreshing tabbouleh salad.
Using Your Rice Cooker As A Lentil Cooker
Rice cookers can cook much more than rice. In fact, you can make porridge, stews, pancakes, sticky rice, pasta....and yes, perfect lentils in your rice cooker.
When you cook lentils on the stove top, you have to keep a close eye on the pan to ensure that the water doesn't evaporate too quickly, leaving you with a burnt mess. The heat can't be too high, and you can't leave them to cook too long. It's all a bit of a fuss. And, how many times have you scrubbed out a pan that has lentils stuck to the bottom?
But, rice cooker lentils are a totally different story. Just rinse them, dump them in your rice cooker, and go. The rice cooker will take care of the rest. Easy peasy!
Ingredients
- Lentils: This recipe works with green lentils, brown lentils, red lentils and yellow lentils.
- Vegetable Broth: I like to use veggie broth when I cook lentils in my rice cooker, but plain ol' water will work just as well. Just be sure to keep the water to lentil ratio the same.
- Garlic: Garlic is optional, but adds a nice flavor.
How To Cook Lentils In A Rice Cooker
- Firstly, put your lentils in a strainer and wash them under cold water.
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of your rice cooker with cooking spray or cooking oil and a paper towel.
- Add the lentils, 2 ½ cups of vegetable broth and the minced garlic to your rice cooker. If you have grain mode on your rice cooker, set it to that. If not, simply set your rice cooker to high.
- Put the lid on and allow them to cook for 40 minutes, removing the lid and stirring once at the halfway point. Your rice cooker will switch to the warm setting when the lentils have finished cooking, so there's no need to keep a close eye on them like you would if you were cooking them in a pan on the stove top.
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Frequently Asked Questions
One cup of dried lentils yields 2 ½ cups cooked lentils. That's 5 ½ cup servings.
5-7 days. Allow the lentils to cool fully before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Yes! You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stove top.
Absolutely! Allow the lentils to cool fully before transferring them to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge.
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📖 Recipe
Rice Cooker Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 2½ cups vegetable broth *or water
- 2 cloves garlic (optional) finely minced
Instructions
- In a strainer, wash the lentils under cold water.
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the rice cooker with cooking spray or cooking oil and a paper towel.
- Add the lentils, vegetable broth and minced garlic to the rice cooker. If you have it, set your rice cooker to grain mode. If you don't have grain mode, set it to high, or simply turn it on (as you would to cook rice).
- Put the lid on and cook for 40 minutes, removing the lid and stirring once at the halfway point.
Notes
- One cup of dried lentils will yield 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils.
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