Lentil (and legume) is staple food in every Indian home. For my family, a bowl of dal is a comfort food and we make it every single day. Every household has their own recipe/version of cooking it. Legumes/beans provide protein, fiber, iron, potassium and magnesium while containing no or little total fat, trans-fat, sodium and cholesterol. These can be a valuable part of any plant-based diet because they are rich in several nutrients and serve as a meat-alternative and contain the full complement of amino acids when paired with grains. Below is the handy table that may help you. The first column has English name and following columns have names in Indian regional languages. You will notice the links in the English column. Those links will provide you the list of recipes made using that ingredient. If I have missed any or if you know any regional language names, please let me know in comments below. I will try to add other languages in future. Your help is greatly appreciated. References:
www.google.com www.wikipedia.com The Essential Marathi Cookbook by Kumudi Marathe Southern Flavours: The Best of South Indian Cuisine The essential Kerala Cookbook by Vijayan Kannampilly
