Black lentil and vegetable stew with gram flour dumplings, gluten free and plant based.

Hi everyone,

Here's what I had for dinner tonight, I finally bought a slow cooker yesterday so cooked this to try it out. Just for a challenge I thought I'd make the dumplings vegan and use gram flour and soy cream baking powder black pepper sea salt and chives. As I've never made them like this before I made mini ones and they doubled in size and tasted good.

The black lentils are under the veg in the gravy that the stew cooked in, I think that both green and black lentils with sliced onions and thickened with a little gram flour and water is the best veggie mince I've ever had so love the combination.

I cooked a local cauliflower organic onions garlic carrots peas and local green beans in stock made with water and low salt Swiss bouillon ginger black pepper with yeast extract.

For a first attempt with a slow cooker I'm very pleased as it made an easy meal especially as I've had a lot going on at home with having builders in today.

I hope that everyone in the flood risk areas is safe as I can't imagine how awful that must be.

Jerry 😊

[Kai--]

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😋👍👍

Looks absolutely delicious 😋 , Jerry, with all plant-based (vegan ‘safe’) ingredients. 👍👍

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If you don’t mind my asking:

. . . • Does your slow cooker ♨️ allow you to add various ingredients at differing times throughout the cooking process? 🤔

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For example, if you’re cooking beans (that require more cooking time) for the 1st few hours, does your cooker allow you to readily "open the lid" to add your veg. 🥕 a few hours later into the cooking time, and then add other veg. (such as leafy greens 🥬 ) even later on during the cooking process? 🤔

Or, do you have to place all the ingredients into the slow cooker at the very beginning & never open the lid until the very end. 🤔

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[Hope this makes sense. What I’m trying to say, is it like cooking in a pot upon a stove where you can easily add different ingredients throughout the hours of the cooking process — throughout the day — by merely lifting the lid & adding an ingredient (so that the different ingredients don’t overcook if you have to add them all at once at the beginning).]

Ugh. Apologies for convoluted 🔀 question; I hope 🤞 you get the gist. 😳 😄

Thank you kindly, Jerry. 😌 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞

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[Oh, I ask because we’ve been going back & forth on whether to get a slow cooker/ cooking pot/ pressure cooker … , for quite a while. (Anything that makes cooking easier is terrific! 👍👍 ) . . . Because we (large) "batch cook", we’re also going "to & fro’ on pot size, ease of lifting (the larger the size the heavier the device), ease of cleaning, counter-top space, storage space, expense, yada yada yada. ☺️ 🙃 🤦‍♀️ (It becomes quite comical 🤡 after a while when juggling 🤹‍♂️ all these factors, weighing ⚖️ them all, & trying to reach a decision. ‘Indecision’ 🤷‍♀️ ends up being the decision. 🤣 🤪 🤦‍♂️ )]

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[Hidden in reply to Kai--]

Thanks Kai-- this is the first time that I've used it and I just put all the ingredients in and let it cook merrily away. Slow cookers are low powered electric saucepans and you can take the lid off nut are letting the heat out so I believe its best to whack everything in and then it cook merrily away. 😊

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to Hidden]

My brother has a slow cooker and he does different stews/soups in it a lot.

[Kai-- in reply to Hidden]

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Thank you kindly, Jerry. 😌 🙏 Good to know putting all ingredients in up front avoids letting the heat ♨️ out by opening the lid several times during the cooking process. Your lovely ‘black lentil & veg stew with dumplings’ looks perfectly cooked with all ingredients placed in cooker all at once. 👍👍

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[Elisabeth3 in reply to Kai--]

We have had slow cooker for years. Mainly used for rice.

I add ingredients and stir the food as needed.

It came with a steaming basket which is useful.

[Kai-- in reply to Elisabeth3]

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Thank you kindly, Elisabeth3. 😌 🙏

That’s a good idea — cooking rice 🍚 in the slow cooker!

Glad you can do it that way too — adding ingredients & stirring as needed throughout the cooking process. Sounds like it’s flexible — works either way. Excellent. 👍👍

And, sounds like readily popping the lid on & off isn’t a hindrance on the slow cooker. (Think I’m confusing lid with a ‘pressure cooker’s lid’.)

Even better that it comes with a steamer basket ♨️🧺 . . . Can steam veg 🥦 🌽 🥕 🥔 🍠 too. . . E x c e l l e n t ! 😃

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[Elisabeth3 in reply to Kai--]

Thanks!

There is some pressure building up in the slow cooker but I think lifting the lid doesn't harm the food.

We actually call the device rice cooker as we mainly use it for that.

[Kai-- in reply to Elisabeth3]

☺️ 👍👍

[Activity2004 Administrator]

This looks really fantastic for the first time using a slow cooker. I hope you enjoyed it!😀👍 It’s perfect for tonight’s temperatures.

We got snow flurries here this morning.😁👍

[Hidden in reply to Activity2004]

Hey thanks Leah, I did enjoy it. Snow flurries ehh its cold and frosty here. 👍 😀

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Yes, we had snowflakes yesterday, but not today so far, so that's good. I can't wait to see what happens by the time Wednesday next week comes..... That should be interesting.

[Elisabeth3]

The dumplings are something I would try. The whole plate looks gorgeous.

The slow cooker is going to serve you well.

[Hidden]

Thank you Elisabeth3 I hope that you're right as I can see it's potential. 😊

[Elisabeth3 in reply to Hidden]

By all means. I personally don't use it that often but still of a useful service. My colleagues use it ever so often.

[Hidden]

Ooh I never thought of cooking dumplings in a slow cooker. Will deffo be doing so now! 😄 thanks Jerry!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hey thanks Hidden I was pleased as they doubled in size so shall make a stew like this again. 😀