Lentils: the caviar of the pulse world

I've been absent for a while due to hand surgery, but I'm back at it and raring to go!



There are two problematic words in the above headline: lentils and pulses. As a dietitian I’m familiar with both the nutritional value and mealtime uses for both of these items, but as a mother and housewife, I have to admit that both make infrequent appearances on my menus. Beans, yes…lentils and pulses no. And therein lies some of the confusion. While rural folks may be completely aware that beans are in fact pulses, city slickers are often oblivious to the fact. They don’t actually know what a pulse is and what they do know about lentils is simple: they don’t like them.



The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the U.N. defines pulses as annual, leguminous crops that are harvested solely for the dry grain. That is, it excludes green (or yellow) beans, green peas, and also excludes crops grown for oil extraction like soybeans and peanuts. What it does include are beans like kidney, lima, broad beans, chickpeas, garbanzos and, of course, lentils.



The younger generation is quite “into” lentils, so I thought today we’d do a bit of generational and inter-community bridge building and have a fresh look at this under-appreciated staple in the diets of many of the world’s cultures.



To begin with, lentils are very nutritious, especially in terms of protein, fibre, folic acid and potassium. Because of their high protein content they are sometimes referred to as “poor man’s meat”. The protein content, however, comes with some qualifications. Because lentils are lacking an essential amino acid (in this case, methionine) they are what nutritionists call an “incomplete” protein. They’re rich in protein, but unlike the protein found in meat, milk, cheese and eggs, the protein itself cannot sustain and promote growth and life. In order to complete the protein, lentils are consumed along with a grain that will contribute the missing methionine but is itself missing another essential amino acid, like lysine. Still with me? Interesting that without the help of a dietitian cultures were able to figure this out thousands of years ago and ate lentils along with other foodstuffs like rice and wheat. A cup (250 ml) of lentils will give you about 20 grams of protein, as will a three ounce (80 g) hamburger patty…the protein just isn’t as “complete”.



The main problem facing lentils is their image. While they may not be in such dire need of an image makeover as, say, Brittney Spears, they could definitely use a little help. Lentils suffer from the double stigma of a) being thought of as watery and mushy and b) the misconception that, like their bean cousins, they have to be soaked before cooking. Not true. Lentils also aren’t thought of as very sexy. A restaurant menu that boasted “stewed lentils” would have a lot of leftover lentils on its hands. If, on the other hand, they were called “French caviar beluga lentils”, well, that’s a horse of a different color. Nowadays Canadian cooks have access to a wide variety of lentils that can result in quick-to-prepare but tasty dishes that bear little resemblance to the soggy, dish-water brown lentils of the past.



Orange-coloured lentils are perhaps the more common, and certainly a popular form of that particular pulse, but the French du Puy lentils are increasingly used in homes and restaurants. They are the ones often referred to as “caviar” lentils owing to their small firm greenish-dark blue appearance which does indeed give them the look of fish eggs. They’re best served “al dente”, sort of like the ideal way to serve pasta…soft enough to bite into, but not mushy. And speaking of pasta, that’s a great way to introduce the family to this new treat: cooked to the proper stage of doneness and added to whichever pasta you choose. It adds interest to the pasta dish and a goodly amount of protein and fibre.



The basic method for preparing lentils involves boiling them with large chunks of onion, celery and carrots (some garlic wouldn’t hurt either) along with a bit of olive oil and maybe even some wine if you’re feeling adventurous. When they’ve reached the desired stage of doneness, you then have a variety of ways to serve the finished product. You might reduce the liquid and add some Italian sausage and tomatoes to make a stew; or you can drain the lentils (saving the rest of the contents for a soup) and dress them up for a salad. The beauty of lentils is that they lend themselves to so many possibilities.



In the West we tend to cook so as to preserve the shape and integrity of each lentil. In India, however, where the average family has lentils as part of every meal, it is more common to cook them until they’re very soft and puree them until creamy. You might be familiar with the term “dal” which is the Hindi word for dried lentils, but can also refer to other dried peas and beans. Indian cookbooks have an incredible number of ways to use lentils and I encourage you to give some of them a try. Lentils are also a popular dish in many North African countries and throughout the Mediterranean. We’ve definitely got some catching up to do.



I’m not suggesting that we should give up on meat; the minerals that meat provides are hard to come by in dishes made up only of lentils. But as an occasional dish by itself or as a side dish to meat, pasta or in a stew, lentils have a lot to offer. Accompanied by a salad, a glass of milk or dish of yogurt, and some fruit for dessert, lentils can pack a nutritional wallop that’s hard to beat.