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Plant-BasedLegumes & Pulses
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Black Lentils

Black Lentils (Lentils variety)

Black Lentils is a lentils leguminous food, known for its mild flavor profile, and rich in essential nutrients like Folate, Thiamin, Vitamin B6.

Regional names

Black Lentils

Origin

Black Lentils is cataloged inside the lentils lane of legumes & pulses.

Native region

Global temperate and subtropical zones

Season

Available year-round depending on form, preservation, or sourcing

Food Combinations & Timing

✅

Safe Combination Profile

It is safe to eat this food item with other food items.

Nutritional profile

Calories

128 kcal / 100 g

Protein

9.9 g

Carbs

22.0 g

Fat

0.4 g

Fiber

8.7 g

Water content

Moderate when cooked (60% to 70%)

Glycemic index

Low to moderate

Vitamins

  • Folate
  • Thiamin
  • Vitamin B6

Minerals

  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Potassium
  • Zinc

Health benefits

Evidence-aligned highlights

  • Provides key macronutrients and micronutrients that support metabolic vitality.
  • Contributes essential dietary compounds that support tissue structure and recovery.
  • Ready for future custom nutritional mapping.

Flavor notes

Mild

Texture

Crisp

Aroma

Fresh

Pairings

Various flavor pairings

Safety & toxicity

Edible parts

Standard edible portions

Toxic or risky parts

Discard non-food-grade or spoiled forms

Raw vs cooked

Safe to consume according to culinary standards.

Allergies & intolerances

No common allergy warning.

Drug interactions

No major interactions for normal food amounts.

Safe daily limit

Enjoy as part of a balanced diet.

⚠️ Notice: This safety profile is a general guideline. Dietary tolerances differ; consult a healthcare professional for allergies or drug interactions. See our full disclaimer.

Who should avoid & how to handle it

Who should avoid or moderate

  • General population safe.

Preparation & storage

  • Clean: Wash or wipe clean according to the usual market form.
  • Cut: Slice, chop, or portion as needed for your recipe.
  • Cook: Prepared raw or cooked according to recipe preference.
  • Store: Keep in a cool, dry place or refrigerate.
  • Preserve: Freeze or dry for longer storage.

Cuisine & cultural use

Common cuisines

  • Global culinary use

Black Lentils appears in Global culinary use, often because its flavor structure and prep speed fit both everyday cooking and ceremonial dishes.

Dynamic Substitutions

No alternatives recorded for this specific item. It is chemically or botanically unique in the database.

🌱 Cultivation & Production

Black Lentils Home Growing Guide

Learn how to grow and cultivate black lentils at home, whether you live in an urban apartment or have access to outdoor garden land.

Apartment Friendly

✗ Not Ideal for Apartments

No

Urban Space Advice

Not practical for apartments. Requires large land acreage to harvest a usable quantity, but you can grow them indoors as nutritious microgreens or sprouts.

Difficulty

Hard

Propagation

Seeds

Soil Type

Standard agricultural sandy-loam

Watering

Moderate

Sunlight

Full sun (6-8 hours daily)

Best Season

Cool season (wheat/lentils) or Warm season (corn/beans)

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

  1. 1

    Sow seeds in rows 12 inches apart in an outdoor garden bed.

  2. 2

    Keep weeds controlled and water moderately during the flowering stage.

  3. 3

    Let the pods or grain heads dry completely on the stalk until they turn golden-brown.

  4. 4

    Harvest the stalks, thresh/shell the grains or beans from their husks, and dry before storing.

Quick recipes

Fast recipes using Black Lentils

Lunch

Tuscan Black Lentil Salad

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A cold Italian salad of earthy black lentils tossed with extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and lemon.

Ingredients

Servings:2
  • 1/2 cup dry black lentils
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced

Nutrition

  • 210 kcal
  • 9 g protein
  • 24 g carbs
  • 8 g fat

Preparation Steps

  1. 1Boil black lentils in water for 25 minutes until tender but firm. Drain and let cool.
  2. 2In a bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and chopped parsley.
  3. 3Toss the cooled black lentils with the dressing.
  4. 4Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving to let flavors combine.

Dinner

Indian Slow-cooked Dal Makhani

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Creamy, slow-cooked whole black lentils and kidney beans simmered overnight with ghee and cream.

Ingredients

Servings:2
  • 1/2 cup black lentils (urad dal)
  • 2 tbsp kidney beans (rajma)
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Nutrition

  • 390 kcal
  • 14 g protein
  • 38 g carbs
  • 19 g fat

Preparation Steps

  1. 1Soak lentils and beans overnight. Boil in a large pot until completely soft.
  2. 2In a deep pot, heat ghee and sauté ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree for 5 minutes.
  3. 3Add boiled lentils and beans. Cook on low heat for 1.5 hours, stirring and mashing frequently.
  4. 4Stir in heavy cream and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until velvety and rich.