The lentil or daal or pulse (Lens culinaris) is a bushy annual plant of the legume family. It is a kind of vegetable, grown for its
lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.
Consisting of 26% protein, lentils have the highest level of protein of any plant after soybeans and hemp. Because of this fact, and due to their high iron content, lentils are a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially in India, which has a large vegetarian population. Different kinds of lentils exist, including a variety of large and small lentils. Lentils come in colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. Lentils are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split. Red, white and yellow lentils are decorticated, i.e., they have their skins removed.
Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[1] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[2] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish.
In addition to providing slow-burning complex carbohydrates, lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents, and menstruating or pregnant women,
whose requirements for it are increased.
Overview
Lentil is the oldest food legume that has been known to the mankind. The nutritious value of the seeds of the plant is quite high as it is rich in carbohydrates,
fibers and proteins and that is why lentil is so popular among the vegetarian population of the world.
It also acts as an important secondary crop in the crop rotation schedule as it has been proven that masur crop is extremely good in fixing nitrogen
from the atmosphere and forming nitrogen nodules in the soil that rejuvenates the nutrients and keeps the soil productive for a long time.
Regarding the production of this legume grain crop, it is considered that lentil does not contribute much in the world’s total production of pulses as
production of other pulses including dry edible beans and field beans is much higher than this crop.
The country that dominate the largest lentil producer’s list is Canada followed by India having a mammoth share in the world production of around 40
lakh tons annually. This production figure has been almost stable during the last decade. Most of the lentil’s demand arises from the food sector.
The southeastern Asian countries where majority of the population is vegetarian, holds a large share of the world’s total consumption.
