# Should I weigh lentils before or after cooking?



## gepstrid (Jan 19, 2014)

Hi,

I'm trying a recipe that lists the ingredients as:

'100g puy lentils, cooked,

100g red lentils, cooked,

100g green lentils, cooked

100g peas, cooked'.

I'm not sure if that means that I should weigh out 100g of lentils then cook them, or cook some lentils, drain them then measure out 100g.

Those ingredients will be the bulk of the dish that should serve 4, if that helps at all...

Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

typically the weight is specified as pre-cooked.  but it would be nice if the author made it clear.

I'm betting it is pre-cooked - if it is to serve four, 4x100 grams of cooked of four differents....

about 400+ grams total or 100 grams per person, which is not a lot....


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## gepstrid (Jan 19, 2014)

That's exactly what I was thinking, but I'm never one for not doubting myself.

Thanks for the reassurance.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Im pretty sure the recipe is meant to measure them lentils befor  e they are cooked. 

Measuring them out after they are cooked would give you some waste of food lol.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Gepstrid said:


> ...
> 
> *'100g puy lentils*, cooked,
> 
> ...


Odd list; Puy lentils are green lentils.

Why would you not cook the lentils yourself? Puy lentils 30-45 minutes (keep tasting a few after 30 minutes), red lentils 15-20 minutes. You can cook them together, just add the red ones after the Puy lentils are cooked for 15 minutes. Add some carrot and onion to the cooking water. NO salt, it toughen up the lentils. Salt at the very last moment.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

That's about 3/4lb dry, plenty for four.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The recipe will usually give you the information. If the recipe doesn't supply the cooking for the lentils, then the lentils would need to have been pre-cooked. 

Also, note the location of the comma and order of words.

'100g puy lentils, cooked,

100g red lentils, cooked,

100g green lentils, cooked

100g peas, cooked'.

As ingredients, it's saying take 100g lentils and cook them. Compared to 100g cooked de puy lentils which would be weight after cooking in that way of writing.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Phatch has it right.
The measure then ingredient followed by method/technique rule translates to 100 gm raw lentils that you then cook .
Another example.....
2 cups flour, sifted... reads measure out 2 cups flour then sift
instead of
2 cups sifted flour.....sift out a measure of flour then measure 2 cups from that.

mimi


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

You guys are brave vouching for the veracity of another person's recipe writing LOL!!! Way too much faith in the grammar and punctuation gods and the mere mortal transcribing the recipe. Murphy was a extraordinarily prodigious culinary scribe.

When in doubt, I say go for the weight as uncooked, the worse that could happen is that you wind up with too many lentils cooked. Use what you need for that day's recipe, save the rest and then you are half way there on another dish for the next day.


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## seabeecook (Aug 23, 2008)

Good point FFGirl. Writing "cooked lentils" as opposed to "lentils, cooked" would clear up a lot of confusion. I would've understood the recipe to begin with cooked legumes. As Cheflayne indicated, I may be eating seconds. If I were writing the recipe, I would instruct the cook to first weigh or measure the legumes, then cook then individually. Otherwise, you need to inform the cook the weight of raw lentils, etc., needed for the recipe.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I couldn't stand it any longer. I knew that lentils when cooked would yield considerably more volume, but I got to wondering about weight. 100 g of lentils uncooked is 1/2 cup. When cooked the lentils are 1 cup and close to 200 g. Phew, thank god I am no driven crazy by wondering about that highly significant fact. Now onto the next thing. Wonder what it will be? Hmm..


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## seabeecook (Aug 23, 2008)

cheflayne said:


> I couldn't stand it any longer. I knew that lentils when cooked would yield considerably more volume, but I got to wondering about weight. 100 g of lentils uncooked is 1/2 cup. When cooked the lentils are 1 cup and close to 200 g. Phew, thank god I am no driven crazy by wondering about that highly significant fact. Now onto the next thing. Wonder what it will be? Hmm..


Four cups of cooked legumes will easily serve 4 to 6.

Interestingly, I prepared a green lentil soup with leeks and chicken at work today.

Where in the Sierra foothills do you live, cheflayne? I live south of Placerville in Diamond Springs, El Dorado County.


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