Lentil

About

Red lentils differ from other lentil varieties in flavor and cooking behavior: they taste starchy, closer to split peas, and break down into a soft puree, making them well suited to soups. Other varieties hold their shape better after cooking. Green and brown lentils have an earthy flavor with a slightly silty quality; Puy lentils are also earthy but with a mineral, peppery edge. Beluga lentils are small, black, and have a peanut-like note, reflecting that both lentils and peanuts are legumes. Like other pulses, lentils are mild on their own and need added sourness, saltiness, or bitterness to bring out more flavor.

Pairs well with lentil

• EaPotatoDosa, a fermented lentil-and-rice batter pancake, has a tangy flavor that lentils take well to; potato masala is its most common filling.
• FrTomatoRed lentil and tomato soup is flavorful enough to need only salt, though onion, carrot and celery are common optional additions.
• SuGarlicRed lentils cook down into a soft mash, typically simmered in about three parts water to one part lentil (they keep absorbing liquid as…
• CrCoconutCoconut milk and red lentils combine into a sweet, soft porridge, sometimes finished with cardamom-flavored syrup.
• CiGingerGari, the pink pickled ginger served with sushi, gives an otherwise plain Puy or beluga lentil dish the acidic brightness it can lack.
• BeMintMint pairs naturally with foods that have a pronounced mineral quality, including bittersweet chocolate, fava beans, spinach and blood…
• CiLimeLime pickle, a thick, pungent, sour chutney made from thin-skinned Mexican limes, stirred into cooked red lentils makes a simple, punchy…
• EaCuminCumin's earthiness is a classic match for brown lentils in vegetarian cooking, though without balance it can taste flat or cardboard-like.
• WoCarrotRoasted carrots are often served over Puy or Beluga lentils with a tahini or avocado dressing, while red lentils are more typically…
• MuMustardAzifa, an Ethiopian Lenten lentil salad, combines cooled, sometimes mashed brown or green lentils with mustard, onion, fresh chile, oil…
• SuCauliflowerLentils are considered cauliflower's best pulse match: firmer varieties like Puy or Beluga provide textural contrast, while softer red…
• FrPlumPlum's slightly vinous fruitiness works well in savory dishes, including warm lentil salads or Puy lentils cooked to serve alongside pork…
• GrChileA vegetarian chili made with red lentils, red pepper flakes, kidney beans, tomato, cumin, coriander, cardamom and cocoa is a well-known…
• SpAllspiceAllspice is typically used as part of a larger spice blend rather than alone.
• SpFenugreekFenugreek seeds serve a dual purpose in the lentil-and-rice batters used for South Indian idli, dosa and dhokla, contributing flavor while…
• CiTurmericTurmeric is often the only spice cooked into dal as it simmers, forming a flavor base that other aromatics build on later via a tarka (a…
• FrYogurtYogurt's acidity suits lentils well, which is why it is stirred into masoor dal, and why dried yogurt is added to Turkish lentil soup for…
• GrSorrelPuy lentils cooked in broth and finished with butter-cooked sorrel, blended smooth or left textured, make a well-regarded soup, also made…
• SpBay leafA basic lentil soup, side or salad is built from diced onion, carrot and celery softened with a bay leaf, then simmered with lentils and…
• SuChiveUrad dal is eaten in Tibet and Nepal with jimbu, a dried chive variety that's mild until fried into a tarka finish.
• WoWhole grain riceLentils and rice combine in dishes such as kitchuri, the Indian rice-and-moong-dal mix, and mujadarra, the Arabic lentil-and-rice dish…
• FrPomegranatePomegranate molasses lifts the earthy flavor of brown lentils, as in rummaniyeh, an Arabic dish of lentils cooked with garlic, cumin,…
• EaKidney beanDal makhani, a rich Indian dish, combines kidney beans and whole black gram (urad dal, a relative of mung bean rather than a true lentil),…
• GrChicoryLentils have a mild, earthy flavor with no sharp or bitter notes, while chicory retains a bitter edge even when cooked, making it a good…