Lentil casserole with celery and carrot
This is a very simple casserole, with few ingredients, that I started making this fall when I got some celery on clearance. I have been making it almost weekly since that first time. You could substitute the celery with fennel and then skip the fennel seeds.
I use a pressure cooker, but you can of course use a regular pot, in which case you can cut the vegetables in smaller wedges to reduce cooking time.
You can soak the lentils before you cook them. If you do not have the time, it is OK to just wash them and use them directly.
I always prepare the lentils by boiling them in plenty of water, letting them froth and then rinsing them with clean water and setting them apart, until the rest of the ingredients are ready.
I am using brown lentils for this casserole, or unhulled coral lentils (small and brown in color with a coral tint). Hulled lentils are not a good choice for this dish, I find, because they become mushy.
Easy lentil casserole with celery and carrots
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 250 ml brown lentils or unhulled coral lentils
- 1 batch cellery
- 4 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100 ml white wine Dealcoholized cooking wine if you wish
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp coconut oil (fragrance free) optional, OK to use olive oil if you do not have any coconut oil available
- 2 tbsp crushed tomato optional (you can use 1 freshly grated tomato)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 pinch chilli adjust to taste
- 1 pinch turmeric optional
Instructions
- You can substitute the celery with fennel and then skip the fennel seeds.I use a pressure cooker, but you can of course cook it in a regular pot, in which case you can cut the vegetables in smaller wedges to reduce cooking time.Soak the lentils before you cook them, or just wash them and use them directly.I always prepare the lentils by boiling them in plenty of water, letting them froth and then rinsing them with clean water and setting them apart, until the rest of the ingredients are ready. I am using brown lentils for this casserole, or unhulled coral lentils (small and brown in color with a coral tint). Hulled coral lentils become to soft and mushy.Wash and prepare the vegetables; cut the carrots and celery stems in (big) wedges.Peel the garlic and cut the cloves in halves or quarters.Heat up some oil (fragrance free coconut oil if available) in a big pot at low to medium heat and softly fry the fennel seeds.Add the garlic, the spices (salt, chili, pinch of turmeric) and vegetables to the pot and toss the lot in the oil for a couple of minutes.Add the wine and let simmer for some minutes until most of it has been absorbed. Add the rinsed lentils, the two spoonfuls of crushed tomato, as well as around 500-600 ml of water (make sure you use enough liquid for your pressure cooker).Please the lid on your pressure cooker and turn up the heat to high.After the first whistle of the pressure cooker, turn the stove off.Let the casserole cook for around 4 whistles (max 10 minutes), and leave it on the stove. When it is safe to remove the lid, you can check on the casserole. Add some water if necessary, or if it is too liquid, let it soft boil for a while, until enough water has evaporated.If cooking in a regular pot, just cook until the vegetables and the lentils are soft.Add good quality olive oil after the casserole is ready and before serving.