 Pass the lentils, please
You are what you eat. Some of the gravest health problems can be caused by food and yet, food can also be a cure for many an ailment. This column is all about food that will work towards your good health. Each week I’ll take a common food item from your kitchen, and show you the wonders it can do for you.
World Heart Day, 2006 was celebrated on Sunday, September 24 and the theme this year was ‘How young is your heart?’ There are several ways to ensure your heart stays young. Regular exercise and a heart friendly diet are two simple ways to keep your heart from aging.
 A heart friendly diet is one that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol, high in fibre, low in sodium and high in potassium. Lentils surely qualify as heart-friendly food. Read on to find out how…
History
Lentils are one of the earliest foods cultivated. It was introduced in India before 100 A.D. and is strongly embedded in our culture. Indian cuisine from every state has its share of lentil recipes. Currently, the leading commercial producers of lentils include India, Turkey, Canada, China and Syria.
Nutri-Meter
Lentils are one of the best sources of dietary fibre. One cup serving takes care of almost 90 per cent of the daily requirement of fibre. It is also rich in protein, molybdenum, copper, iron, Vitamin B and potassium. All for 230 calories per cup, it gives maximum nutrition with minimum calories.
Lentils in Ayurveda
Lentils and beans are the Ayurvedic storehouses of protein. Split green moong beans, with their skin removed (moong dal) is considered to be the most easily digestible of all lentils and is highly recommended by Ayurvedic practitioners. Since it is good for all three doshas, it can be had almost everyday.
A world of good
1. Friend of the heart – A study done on 16,000 middle-aged men across seven countries and 25 years showed that legumes and lentils caused almost 80 per cent reduction in risk of heart disease. Due to its cholesterol lowering effects, folic acid and magnesium content, lentils are one of best foods for a healthy heart.
2. Fibre – Lentils are rich in soluble fibre that reduces the absorption of cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease. Soluble fibre also helps retard the peaking of blood sugar after a meal. A fibre-rich diet helps in regular bowel movements and gives protection against bowel cancer. A cup and a half of cooked lentils a day nearly takes care of the daily fibre requirement.
3. Diabetic friendly food – Lentils are digested slowly and therefore cause a slow, gradual rise in blood sugar. That is why they are said to have a low glycaemic index. When eaten along with other high glycaemic foods like rice and potatoes, they combat the rapid increase in blood sugar. Besides, the cholesterol-lowering effect also reduces the risk of heart disease in diabetics. It is good for diabetics to have lentils in some form with every meal.
4. Iron power – Menstruating, pregnant or lactating women, growing children and teens need a regular supply of iron to keep up their haemoglobin levels. Lentils are a dependable source of iron. They are low in calories, almost fat-free and rich in fibre unlike red meat.
5. Lentils are a good source of the mineral selenium, which is known to be an anti-oxidant. Selenium offers protection from some cancers and also prevents depression.
Tips to store and cook lentils
Most lentils if kept in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed bottles will stay for up to six months. In humid climates, it helps to sun them out before storing, to keep away the pests.
The larger the size of the lentil, the more is the cooking time. It is important to remember this if you are cooking a mixed batch.
Pressure cooking is the fastest way to cook lentils and it also preserves maximum nutrients. Split lentils do not require prior soaking. These can be washed and pressure cooked directly.
Do not add salt or sour (acidic) ingredients like tomatoes, tamarind or lemon juice until the lentils are cooked. Acidic ingredients harden the lentils and increase the cooking time.
Lentils and beans are known to produce gaseousness and bloating. Soaking the lentils overnight and rinsing thoroughly before cooking has been known to help. The Indian custom of adding asafoetida while cooking lentils is to reduce the gas production.
Ways to use lentils in your food
Fortunately Indian cooking has scores of ways to cook lentils and at least 10 different types of lentils are commonly used in Indian kitchens. Store a variety of lentils in your pantry and aim to cook at least one type of lentil each day. You may also choose to cook with a mix of lentils as given in the recipe below. Click here to know about the different kinds of lentils with their English names and pictures.
- Tur dal (tuvaram paruppu)
- Moong dal (paasi paruppu)
- Chana dal (kadalai paruppu)
- Masoor dal (split and whole red lentils)
- Udad dal (ulutham paruppu)
- Whole green moong (pacchai payir)
- Experiment with different types of lentils to make your daily ‘dal’.
- You may use red lentils or green whole moong to make sambhar.
- Make healthy cutlets / burgers using cooked lentils and soy granules which are cooked with very little oil on a grill or a non-stick pan.
- Pressure cook lentils like tur dal and masoor dal in a lot of water and puree. Add garlic, tomato puree and spices to it and you have a spicy lentil soup ready for an evening meal.
- Lentils can be used to make thuvaiyals or spreads. Eat these with chapatis, mix them with steamed rice or spread them on toasts.
- Cooked lentils can be mashed and mixed with powdered sesame seeds, garlic and spices to make a variety of hummus. Hummus is a healthy Mediterranean spread made from chickpeas and is had with Pita bread.
- A mix of various lentils can be ground / powdered to make adai, upma and idli.
Rice – lentil – vegetable combinations like khichdi and bisi bela bhaath make nutritious one-pot meals for those hectic weeknights.
- Lentils even lend themselves to wonderful desserts like paruppu payasam and puran poli.
Recipe for your health-food file
Paruppu Adai (Mixed lentils pancakes)
 Traditionally Adai (South Indian lentil pancake) is made with a mixture of lentils in a certain proportion. Sometimes, you have a little bit of all dals remaining in your pantry. This is the best way to clean up all those bottles. This is a highly nutritious recipe. It packs a lot of protein with not much of fat. And you make it no-fat too by using a non-stick pan.
Dals used: (total 2 cups - makes about 16 pancakes)
Chana dal, Moong dal, Masoor dal, Green split moong
Other ingredients: 2 green chillies, 2 red chillies, few curry leaves, pinch of asafoetida, salt to taste, oil for cooking.
Method:
1. Soak the above dals for 6-8 hours / overnight. After soaking, wash thoroughly to remove any sliminess.
2. Place the drained dals in a mixer (do it in 2 batches if mixer is small). Grind the dals with chillies, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida into a paste, maintaining some roughness of texture. Add a little water to help in grinding. The consistency of batter should be slightly thicker than dosai batter.
3. Heat a greased non-stick pan, take a ladle full of batter and spread it circularly into a pancake. The pancake should be roughly 1/2 cm thick.
4. Cook it for 30 seconds to a minute each side and let it turn golden brown. The time taken to cook / crisp will depend on the thickness of the pancake.
6. Serve hot with Molagai Podi / green chutney for breakfast or as tiffin.
Notes:
- Adai is filling enough to have as a light dinner with a bowl of curd and a piece of jaggery.
- In case you add a little too much water during the grinding process, thicken the batter using some rava (suji / semolina). This will add to the consistency as well as give it a crispy texture.
Photos and text © Dr.Nandita Iyer
Disclaimer:
The contents of this column such as text, images, recipe recommendations and other materials are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider for any health problem or medical condition.
Dr Nandita Iyer
(The author is a qualified medical doctor, an enthusiastic writer and a passionate cook. She will try and answer any article-related queries, which can be posted in the comments section.)
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