LENTILS, IVORY WHITE

Ivory White Lentils (Lens esculenta) are a creamy white colored small lentil. Ivory White Lentils are peeled Black Lentils, in India they are known as Urid dal. Traditionally in South Indian cooking White Lentils and rice are ground into a flour and used to make idlis and dosas. Ivory White Lentils are 1/2 cm. wide with a mild, earthly flavor and soft texture. This tiny lens shaped pulse has traditionally been used as a meat substitute (a pulse is the dried seed of any legume, such as beans and peas). Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and are dried after harvesting. Lentils have been eaten for over 8000 years and originated in Southwestern Asia along the Indus River. They are a staple food for many South Asian cultures.