"lentils" news and stories

The Indian health ministry issued a warning about the quality of Indian street food this week following a survey that "found many sellers oblivious to the basics of food hygiene." Most, in fact, stated that they put their "profits before customer safety" - a risky decision for the average restaurateur, since many vendors count on repeat business to keep going. As unlikely as it may seem, their strategy does not seem to be working against them. Street food is popular for three reasons: it is cheap, it is convenient and it tastes good. That last reason is why the vendors stay in business because customers say that "you think of the taste and just forget everything else you know," returning to the same stands, despite become ill after eating the food.

The health ministry is planning to offer food hygiene training for those in the food service industry and may develop a licensing system that would require such courses to be undertaken by vendors in the future.

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Lentils may be in short supply, especially if you want to buy them in bulk, but for the average home cook, the odds are good that you're not eating lentils every day and a cup or two should still be easy enough to come by. Lentils are high in protein and provide a huge advantage over beans in soup because they do not have to be soaked in advance and have a relatively short cooking time. This recipe comes from Cooking Light and is an easy to make, satisfying dish.

I used black lentils to make this soup, but you should be able to substitute any kind you have, such as red or yellow, and still come up with a great result. I also opted to omit the cilantro, since I don't like it to have a really strong presence in dishes, and did not puree the soup. The dish was slightly spicy and very good, especially considering that it only took about one hour to make!

Lentils fall into that category of staple foods that includes rice and flour. They don't generally merit much thought because they are prevalent, yet they make up a crucial part of the diet of many in southern Asia and are popular anywhere Indian food is sold. At least, they didn't receive much thought until the Indian government banned lentil exports, which has resulted in shortages in other parts of the world, including the US. As a result, lentil prices are going up and some restaurants are turning to lentils from other countries, though "there are complaints from discerning customers who bemoan inferior quality."

The dried beans are such a staple that they are often eaten several times a day, especially by Indian vegetarians, so people have turned to hoarding them while still paying increasingly high prices. Until the ban in India is repealed, it doesn't seem like prices will be coming down any time soon. Fortunately, dried lentils keep for quite some time, so if you like lentil soups in the fall, it might be worth picking up a bag or two at the store, just in case.

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We already know that beans cause, well, everything from a slight rumble to a major quake in the gut. In fact, it's such a gaseous problem that researchers have been trying to figure out ways to reduce the amount of the complex sugar oligosaccharide in the beans themselves. However, until that research is complete, perhaps you can avoid the embarassment by remembering which beans cause the greatest amount of rumble in the gut. The beans are listed from highest to lowest (highest oligosaccharide content, therefore causing the most gas):

1. Soybeans - watch out for that edamame hummus!
2. Peas
3. Black beans and pinto beans
4. White beans
5. Great Northern beans
6. Lima beans
7. Garbanzo beans (aka ceci beans or chickpeas)
8. Black eyed peas

I have to admit that I am very predictable in an Indian restaurant or on the phone making a delivery order. I very rarely, if ever go outside my personal ordering repertoire of samosas as a starter, chicken tikka masala, maybe chicken korma if I'm feeling particularly crazy, saag paneer, gobi aloo, and of course, garlic naan.

However, in recent months, I have been forcing myself to try new things because the Indian table doesn't revolve around chicken tikka masala. I have now become quite enamored of dal, any number of varieties of lentils. Moong dal are lentils cooked with garlic and ginger, mild in heat, but still extremely flavorful. I'm quite sure I could make a meal of naan dipped in dal.

What are your top three Indian dishes?