Lentils Alive!

Exhibit A: Plain boring dried lentils.

Plain, boring lentils have been sitting quietly in my pantry for years (well not the same exact lentils), yet I never knew they were actually alive. I buy the dried, whole lentils with intent to have a healthy lentil dish about once a week, but the crave-factor dips pretty low…until now! Two paramount lentil discoveries have recently changed everything.

First, My Indian bliss experience revealed to me that making Indian-style gravy to cook into the lentils causes the flavor to skyrocket to the moon. It involves heating oil or ghee in the skillet, browning spices (chile pepper, cumin seeds, garam masala, salt and hing), adding and browning minced/blended vegetables (ginger, onion, garlic, peppers), adding and further browning something wet or creamy (plain yogurt or a crushed tomato), and finally adding this “gravy” to a cooked pot of lentils. This, I crave. Even my picky tween is finishing her lentils prepared this way.

Exhibit B: Lentils alive and ready to eat!

Second, and most shocking to me, is that the lentils are ALIVE. I mean, they are seriously like tiny brown rocks, but there is LIFE in those dried beans. People who sprout things know this secret. I vaguely understood sprouting alfalfa seeds, but I was totally unprepared emotionally for what I saw when I soaked lentils in water over night then rinsed them a few times through out the next day. They sprouted tails! And then their tails grew. They became soft, but still crunchy and very flavorful. I immediately loved their nuttiness sprinkled over salads, potatoes, eggs and soups. But then one more discovery elevated lentils to one of my very most favorite kitchen staples: they toast up beautifully in butter, ghee, or oil (especially coconut oil). They become this decadent treat because of the crispy little buttery edges.

How can something so little be so assertive?!?

Nowadays, I stir-fry sprouted lentils almost daily for their taste, but also for their dense nutrient value. I love the extra protein that my meat-picky kiddo gets from lentils, and I love that I am eating something full of life for the health of my digestive system. A bonus is that having something alive and sprouting in your kitchen is SEXY! It makes the kitchen feel like a place where primal, natural things happen. So, unleash the aliveness of food. Sprout those babies and be amazed. Enjoy!

HDH…helping you make healthy changes in your kitchen and beyond. Next up: kitchen meditation.