Everyone is looking for the foods that are quick, affordable, and loaded with nutrients.  Lentils are most definitely on this list of powerhouse foods that any busy person can incorporate into their routine.  When I come home exhausted from a busy day, all I want is something easy that is also nourishing to my body. I love lentils because they provide all this for me, but they are also tasty and vary in types.  They are commonly used in many cultures around the world.  India, Ethiopia and Middle Eastern countries have diets that thrive off of lentils.  If you go into an Indian Market, you’ll see oodles of options in types of lentils.

Why are they so amazing nutritionally?

I’ll make it simple.

• High protein, fiber, magnesium (something many of us are deficient in), iron (ladies, you know you need it), folate (particularly good during pregnancy and for young children) and B vitamins.
• Low in calories and fat. Help decrease cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease.
• Because they’re high in fiber, your body processes them slowly and keeps blood sugar levels even.

There are a few types of lentils that are most common in the US:

Red – These are a beautiful color and cook in only 15-20 min.  They easily turn mushy, so they are best in Indian dahls, stews, purees, or soups.

Green – I love to cook with these because they hold their round shape really well.  So these are particularly good for salads or mujudarrah.  They are also call French Lentils.  These take 20-30 min to cook.

Brown – These are the most common and will also retain their shape but will mush when overcooked.  They hold a good earthy flavor.  I like these in stews as well as dahls. I use them also in my Lentil & Rice Dosas (http://miriambiber.com/recipes/beans/lentil-rice-indian-pancakes) as a great bread alternative or snack.  These take 20-30 min to cook.

There are tons of other kinds of lentils, too. I just wanted to write about the ones I most often use and are more commonly found.

Unlike other legumes, these cook best when you haven’t soaked them.  You can simply bring them to a boil and reduce to a simmer for the appropriate amount of time. 

Comment below and let me know your favorite ways to cook lentils.

Watch out for next weeks blog... it'll be a video demonstrating an aweome cooking technique that can be used with lentils!