LENTILS
Lentils play an important
role in improving food
security because of
their ability to restore
nitrogen levels in soil,
which enables farmers
to cultivate sustainable,
cereal-based systems
of crop production to
feed their families and
communities. Compared
to other pulses, lentils
have a higher protein
content with the added
benefit of a shorter
cooking time. Lentils
are also high in fibre
and rich in riboflavin,
niacin, pantothenic
acid, magnesium, zinc,
copper, manganese,
and selenium. Selenium
has the ability to reduce
oxidative stress and
inflammation in the body,
lower cell damage and it
helps to defend the body
against chronic diseases,
like heart disease and
cancer. Lentils are also
a good source of plant-
based iron, especially for
vegetarians and vegans.
Consuming plant-based
iron sources alongside
vitamin C-rich foods
like fresh tomato,
broccoli and cabbage
enhances absorption
of this nutrient and
helps prevent iron-
deficiency anaemia.
LENTILS
T
he oldest pulse crop
known to man is the
lentil (Lens culinaris
or Lens esculenta) –
archaeological digs
on the banks of the
Euphrates River (in what
is now northern Syria)
revealed evidence of domesticated lentil
crops dating back to 8000 B.C. Often
described as humble, lowly or the poor
man’s meat, the lentil is anything but.
While less trendy than chickpeas or mung
beans, lentils are arguably the tastiest of
pulses and effective in the management
of insulin resistance and hypoglycaemia.Grown in pods of just one or two seeds, lentil
seeds are used chiefly in soups and stews.
The bi-convex shape of lentils can be round,
oval or heart-formed – with the word lentil
being derived from the Latin lens, coupled
with the pulse’s lens-like shape, the double-
convex optic lens got its name from the lentil.
Like the cowpea, the lentil is drought
resistant; for this reason, South African
farmers are strongly encouraged to produce
lentils. They’re dried after harvesting and
either sold whole or split into halves – when
halved, green lentils strongly resemble split
peas. Lentils come in yellow, green, red and
brown, the latter being the most common
variety. With an earthy flavour, the brown
lentil holds its shape well when cooked.
The smallest lentil is the beluga – jet-black
in colour, firm and boasting a nutty flavour,
this is the gourmand’s preferred varietal.
Also favoured by chefs and foodies alike isthe Puy lentil, so named for the region in
which it is grown, Le Puy-en-Velay in the
south of France. As such, Puy lentils have
Geographical Indication status, a symbol
used on products to denote a specific place
of origin. Darker in colour and about a third
of the size of a standard green lentil, Puy
lentils hold their shape very well on cooking.
Lentils are widely used across North Africa,
where red-lentil soup is especially loved,
spiced with aromatics like cayenne pepper,
paprika, cumin and ginger to boost the red
lentil’s mild taste. In Ethiopia, a lentil stew
called kik or kik wot is commonly eaten
with the country’s national food, injera
(flatbread), and yellow lentils are one of the
first solid foods Ethiopian women feed
their babies.
Moving closer to home, East African lentil
stew with berbere seasoning – a blend of
cumin, cardamom, allspice, fenugreek,
coriander, cloves, black pepper, chilli flakes,
cayenne pepper, ginger root, turmeric, salt,
paprika and cinnamon – makes for an earthy
and warming dish.
In SA, the well-known lentil bredie forms
part of the Cape Malay heritage and lentils
make for a great plant-based alternative to
meat in the traditional Afrikaans bobotie.
Dried lentils don’t have to be soaked
before cooking but doing so will halve their
cooking time. Some people also believe
that soaking dried lentils prior to cooking
aids digestion and that sprouting lentils
before cooking helps this even further.
Yes, that’s right – lentils can be sprouted,
just like mung beans, peas, chickpeas,
kidney beans and even quinoa.CONSCIOUS EATING