Page 13 - Italian American Herald - April 2022

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
THE CHEF'S PERSPECTIVE
Lentils: Ancient in history as both a peasant food and a delicacy
By Murray Schulman
Archaeological digs along the Euphrates, Greece, Egyptian tombs, and the lands of the ancient Hebrews
have turned up closely related relics dating back as far as 8000 B.C. Under normal conditions, the science world would be fasci- nated by such a discovery. Why is so little fanfare evident related to these discoveries?
What are these relics? Lentils.
These tiny members of the legume family grow in pods like many other beans. Even as small as they are, they grow only two to a pod. Lentils are considered to be one of the mostancient domesticatedcropstoexistin the world.
In history, lentils were considered peasant food in some cultures while at the same general time was a delicacy served to royalty. More recently, lentils are symbolic in certain festivals and celebrations. They are thought to bring luck and prosperity. In Ireland, some parts of Italy, and predominantly in India and the surrounding areas of India, lentils are staples. In India, nearly every meal will include lentils in any varieties of dishes.
Now the question turns to what I use lentils for from a culinary perspective. The most obvious answer that comes to mind here in the United States and even among Italian Americans is lentil soup. In stores, we find processed and prepared lentil soup ready to heat and eat. In
the canned vegetable or bean
section we will find lentils
packed in salt water. If
you look in the dried
bean section of your
local supermarket,
you will find dried
packaged lentils,
in most cases the
brown lentils.
To find the best
variety and best
quality lentils, you
will have to look
in upscale specialty
grocery stores. I was
excited to learn that a
couple of Delaware ShopRite stores have taken the leap into the deep end and are carrying the top-of-the-line Daivi lentils.
I regularly prepare lentils as a staple in my home. I generally rotate my selections among Daivi’s Urad Dal, Masoor Dal and Toor Dal.
I also include moong or mung beans, which fall into a strange classification between lentils (pulses) and beans. Ural is a black lentil with a white interior it has an earthy flavor in a deep rich and pleasing way. It is great as a stand-alone, in salads or in combination with greens, spinach and other vegetables as a main course or side dish with meats, poultry and fish. Masoor is the red lentil. It is more tender and cooks faster. I enjoy this lentil
in stews, curries, or sauces and with fish or seafood. Red lentils are great with rice and pasta as well. The reason those red lentils work so well with stews curries and sauces is that they are natural thickeners. Toor dal is pigeon peas, usually split. I prepared a delicious vegetarian main course with these lentils just the other day. The dish I prepared was simple to make and was surprisingly satisfying not to mention having bold flavors and great eye appeal.
Next to soy, lentils are the most nutritious members of the legume family. They have all the essential nutrients that the body needs and are an important replacement for meat. IAH
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