How many times have you gone to the grocery store with the word “pulse” on your list. For those of you that said “multiple times” I might have some serious questions about what you were shopping for. The fact is though, we all stock up on pulses without even knowing it.
Pulses are the dried edible seeds from legumes which includes common ingredients like garbanzo beans, lentils, and split peas. They tend to be really low in fat and calories while having a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates, which pretty much means they are awesome for you. So awesome in fact that the UN has officially declared 2016 the year of pulses, thats right 2016 is not the year of the Monkey but rather of dried beans. In general, pulses require a little more time to prepare. Because they are dried, many require rehydration to cook properly. Look to soak dried beans and chickpeas overnight where as with lentils and split peas can get away with an hour or even just some added time on the stove. The longer boiling times and hearty ingredients make pulses perfect for the cold winter months. The bulk section at Jackson Whole Grocer and Luckys are your best bets to find the widest variety of dried legumes for your own experimentation.
Indian cuisine has to be one of the largest utilizers of pulses. Their most common accompaniment to any meal dhal, literally translates to a curry made with lentils. One of my favorite variations is tarka dhal, the exotic spices and heat from the chilies warms the soul. Serve over rive or use even as a dip with toasted naan or pita bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Red Lentils
- 1/4 Cup Yellow Split Peas
- 2 1/2 Cups Water
- 1 Onion Sliced
- 2 Green Chilies chopped seeds removed
- 2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger Root, Grated
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/2 tsp Coriander
- Salt to taste
- 1 Chopped tomato (for garnish)
- 1/4 Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add lentils and peas to water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to simmer and add 1 tbsp of butter and all the turmeric.
- In a separate pan, add rest of butter, onions, garlic, ginger, chilies and spices.
- Saute until onions are translucent, take off heat
- Check lentils for doneness, they should soft and mushy when pressed between two fingers (if two dry or starchy add a little more water)
- Add sauteed onions and spices to lentils and stir
- Season with salt to desired level and garnish with tomatoes, and chopped cilantro
Looking for someone else to do the cooking? Plenty of places around Jackson are concoting some delicous pulse options. Lotus Cafe utilizes lentils in many of their dishes including lentil tacos and house made vegetarian lasagne. The Spur, Q Roadhouse, The Handle Bar, Hayden’s Post and FIGS all feature chickpeas in their homemade hummus variations. Rendezvous Bistro and Osteria serve up lentils as an accompaniment with their grilled fish. Liberty Burger’s delicous homemade veggie patty features pulses in the seceret mix. The mushroom and lentil toast at Picnic is a great way to get your pulses in for breakfast. The Indian and Snake River Grill both serve up more traditional versions with The Indian’s Yellow Dhal and SRG’s curried red lentil soup.
