If you are looking for a healthy substitute for meat, lentils are for you. Teeming with nutrition and low in fat, lentils fill you up without feeling the need for fatty foods. Lentils are tiny beans belonging to the legume family. They add color to your kitchen racks as they come in black, green, red, white, yellow and brown shades.   They are available throughout the year and can be stored fresh in air tight containers for daily use. Lentils grow in pods and are round, oval or heart shaped. They may be used as a whole or split or de husked. Using a combination of lentils in cooking makes your meal mighty nutritious especially when prepared in your clay pot which  cooks then with far-infrared heat that helps the seasoning & flavor penetrate much deeper.  And locks the steam holding back the nutrients. Tips for cooking lentils Before cooking lentils in your clay pot, make sure you follow these steps.

• Spread out the lentils in a wide plate or vessel and remove any debris or broken grains
• Wash the lentils thoroughly in several changes of water
• Cook one cup of lentils in 3 cups of water with select spices and vegetables
• Some lentils can be cooked with rice depending on their cooking time.
• Cooking time differs based on the kind of lentils used. If the grains get mashed with a light pressure using a fork, the lentils are done.
• Soak lentils for an adequate time based on the type selected for use

Common lentils used in cooking  

S. No	English Name	Indian Name	Cooking time on clay pot	Uses	Flavor	Nutrition
1	Bengal Gram	Channa Dhal		Does not get mashed up on cooking. Used in rice dishes, gravies and salads	Nutty	Low glycemic index
2	Split red gram	Toor Dhal		Gets smashed into a thick paste when cooked. Used in rice dishes, soups and curries	Mild nutty flavor	High in protein, Vitamin A and C
3	Chickpeas/ Garbanzo beans	Kabuli channa/Chole		Does not get mashed on cooking. Used to make curries and salads	Nutty	Rich in protein, manganese, dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus and iron. Reduces bad cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar and has antioxidant properties.
4	Black gram	Urad Dhal		Ideal for low fat diets. Split gram is  used as a seasoning agent	Nutty	Rich in protein and iron
5	Black-eyed beans	Lobhia/chawli		Does not get mashed on cooking. Used to make curries and salads	Nutty	Rich in fiber and potassium. A low sodium food that reduces blood pressure
6	Red Lentil	Masoor Dhal		Gets smashed into a thick paste when cooked. Used in rice dishes, soups and curries	Smooth flavor	A good source of iron, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B1 and minerals
7	Green gram	Moong Dhal		Gets smashed into a thick paste when cooked. Used in traditional vegetable dishes	Nutty	Rich in protein. Easy to cook and digests fast.
8	Red Kidney beans	Rajma		Does not get mashed on cooking. Used to make curries and salads	Nutty	Contains cholesterol reducing fiber, increases memory power, energizes, has antioxidant properties, is a fat free high quality protein, reduces rise of blood sugar after a meal