Red Lentils

Name: Red lentils (Lens culinaris) — small, orange-red, skinned lentils, sold whole or, more often, split, with a mild, slightly sweet flavour. They cook very fast, and break down into a soft puree. They are the same as the split red lentils on their own page and masoor dal.

Description

Lentils (Lens culinaris) are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, domesticated in the Near East some 9,000 to 13,000 years ago, and have been a staple pulse of the Mediterranean, Middle East and South Asia since. Canada is now the largest producer, followed by India.

Red lentils are the quickest-cooking lentil, and have a thin, edible coat that is removed. They are widely used in Indian dals, Middle Eastern soups (such as shorbat adas), Ethiopian stews (misir wot) and British and Western soups and curries, and they turn golden yellow when cooked.

Because they dissolve into a creamy texture, they are good for thickening soups and sauces, but are less suited to salads.

Main nutrition value

Red lentils are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provide folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc, with little fat.

How best to be consumed

Red lentils cook fast, and turn to a soft puree.

1. Rinse, and simmer in water or stock for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and creamy, with no need for soaking.
2. Make into soup, with onion, carrot, cumin and lemon, as in Middle Eastern shorbat adas.
3. Cook into dal, curries, stews and sauces, or use to thicken soups.
4. Add to bolognese or shepherd's pie to stretch the meat.
5. Skim off foam, and add salt and acid at the end.

Overconsumption could cause…

Red lentils are healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in pulses, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
2. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes, and cross-reaction between chickpeas, lentils and peanuts in some.
3. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since pulses contain moderate purines, although plant purines seem to carry less risk than those from meat.
4. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried pulses, which soaking and thorough cooking reduce.

GroupsLentilsLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateRich in ironRich in potassiumRich in zinc

Related foodsMasoor DalSplit Red LentilsBrown LentilsFrench Green LentilsGreen LentilsPuy Lentils

Wikipedia — Lentil, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil