If we needed more evidence that American society is in decline, consider how little respect we give lentils. Pound for pound, these legumes quietly deliver more nutrition to more people than anything else growing on earth.
One serving of these lightweight beans contains twice the antioxidants of blueberries; about half your daily fiber needs; loads of folate, iron, and other minerals; and more protein than any plant except soy. Being legumes, they can grow in marginal soils, and they improve the soils with each planting.
The trick to cooking lentils is to treat them more like pasta than rice. Don’t try to get them to absorb all the liquid. Instead, cook them in plenty of water and then strain them. But do save the liquid—it may be the most important part. More on that later.
In India, farmers produce at least 50 varieties of lentil. It’s probably not a coincidence that India is also one of the few places I’ve visited where vegetarian options are usually more appealing than meat-based meals, thanks in part to that hot lentil action. If you are down with animal proteins but maybe don’t have a ton at your disposal, you can always add a ham hock or stew meat to the lentil soup.
In North America, most lentils are grown in the upper Columbia River basin. But production is migrating east, over the Continental Divide and onto the Northern Plains, where grain farmers are planting rotations of lentils, if not focusing exclusively on them. Being so good for the soil, the lentils themselves are almost a bonus, a byproduct of a healthy cropland system.
And while lentil cheerleaders will sometimes gush about how easy it is to cook lentils, it’s not necessarily as easy to make them tasty. A thick, bland gruel that may also be too crunchy? No problem. But making lentils taste good with a palatable texture takes more finesse. And again, don’t forget that water. For some, like my friend Norman, that water is more important than the lentils themselves.
The Taste of India in Hawaii
I met Norman years ago under a massive tamarind tree in Kona, Hawaii. I was there because a mutual friend had told me about Norman’s proprietary spice mix. Norman generously told me how to make his spice mix and explained how he used it to flavor a lentil-based dish called rasam (pronounced like “awesome”). In giving me this recipe, Norman taught me a lot about lentil cookery.Norman is an Indologist, an expert on all things India, and the method by which rasam is prepared is part of the reason India consumes half the world’s lentils. That reason was dal, the simple yet satisfying Indian lentil soup. Rasam is made with the water used to precook lentils before they are cooked into dal. It’s flavored with Norman spices, tamarind, and tomato.
It all comes together into a thin, reddish-brown soup full of tang and spice, balanced against the savory undertones of that rich lentil water.
Rasam is so satisfying that the cooked lentils themselves are basically a byproduct. It’s up to the chef to figure out what to do with them, and there are many options. You could use the lentils to make dal, of course. Or lentil hummus. Or add them to tabouli or a salad. Having lentils reminds me of when my son has a hammer and everything looks like a nail. When you have cooked lentils, you can add them to anything.
Norman’s Rasam Spices
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Just a few pieces of fenugreek
Rasam
Serves 4- 1 cup red or yellow lentils
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1/2 cup minced onions
- 2 tablespoons Norman’s rasam spices
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or Knorr brand tamarind soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes
Meanwhile, sauté the onions in the oil until they are translucent. Add the rasam spices, tamarind, and the entire can of diced tomatoes, and allow it to simmer.
Finally, strain the lentils, reserving the water. Save the lentils for another use, and add the lentil water to the rasam. Season with salt, and serve.
