Lentils come in many varities

Lentils are one of my favourite legumes. However, I recently realised that there is much more to the tiny peas than I realise. Although I am familiar with green lentils, I’ve only had one type of lentils in my lifetime – brown. So I was amazed to learn recently that my loveable legumes are more diverse than I thought and come in a variety of other colours including yellow, red-orange, red, golden, blue-green, and black.

So while I await that precious opportunity when I’ll be able to savour the various types of lentils, I’ll share what I’ve learnt about my favourite peas with you.

I have always known the health benefits of lentils; in fact while I was pregnant, a friend urged me to eat a lot of the peas as he swore by the protein content, but that’s not all.

Compared to other types of dried beans, lentils are relatively quick and easy to prepare. They readily absorb a variety of wonderful flavours from other foods and seasonings, are high in nutritional value and are available throughout the year.

As one health food website puts it, lentils, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fibre. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fibre content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. But this is far from all lentils have to offer. Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up – not out.

Lentil’s contribution to heart health lies not just in their fibre, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these little wonders supply. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. In addition to its beneficial effects on the digestive system and the heart, soluble fiber helps stabilise blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, legumes like lentils can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy.

More about my loveable legumes:

Lentils belong to the legume family and are an excellent source of protein and fibres. There is a large variety of lentils and they are of many types. Some of the important types are

Black Lentils

The black lentils which are also called the beluga lentils are small, shiny and delicate lentils. When cooked they further shrink in size and appear as beluga caviar, hence the name beluga. The beluga lentils have a mild salty taste and are mostly used in the making of lentil soups and salads.

Black Lentils in the subcontinent are popular as urad dal and are used in the making of popular Indian dishes such as dosas and poppadums. In countries like Pakistan they are mostly eaten in a curry form with plain white rice.Red Lentils

The red lentils or the Masoor dal are very popular in the subcontinent. They are orange red in colour and have a strong nutty taste. There are many popular dishes of subcontinent which include the red lentils. They are used in the making of various soups, stews or can be made into spicy dal dishes taken with boiled rice.

Brown Lentils

Commonly known as the masar dal in the subcontinent, have small to medium sized disc shaped brown beans. These lentils have a salty and a characteristic flavour which makes them ideal for lentil soups. These lentils take a large amount of water to boil but if cooked for long they get mushy and go bland.

The Yellow Lentils

(Arhar or Toor Daal)

The arhar or the toor dal is a very popular dal in India, especially in the northern parts of India where it is a very popular constituent of northern cuisine.The arhar dal has rounded yellow beans which have a sweet and nutty flavor. They are mostly used in soups and a popular dish of India known as sambha.

Macachiados Lentils

These are not the subcontinent lentils but are a popular Mexican variety of lentils.

These are large yellow lentils with a strong nutty taste. They are used in making of various Mexican cuisines including some popular spicy lentil soups.

French Green Lentils

These are a French variety of lentils and are also known as the Puy lentils as they originated in Le Puy, France. These lentils are small and are brownish green in color. Some other varieties of this lentil are speckled green. The French green lentils remain firm and don’t swell up or get mushy on boiling. Hence they are used in salads and dishes in which the lentils should remain firm.