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 Red Lentils
© Denzil Green
And, with their skins on, they wouldn't look orange, or red. They are sold to us "hulled", meaning with the skins removed. Some Red Lentils are the same lentils as brown ones are, but with the skins removed. Canada, the largest exporter of lentils in the world (as of 2004), mostly grows the kind of Red Lentils that originally had a brownish-green skin. The names of these varieties include Crimson, Redwing, Redcap, Robin and Blaze. In India, this kind is more generally just referred to as "masoor dahl". In America, a popular variety is Red Chief, which grows with a tan skin on the lentils.
Some feel that hulled Red Lentils have less taste than other lentils, as a lot of the flavour was in the skin.
Red Lentils will cook to form a purée, while Green (aka Brown) Lentils stay more whole and separate because they have their skins on -- thus these are better for salads and stews, while red are good for soups, etc.
All Red Lentils turn a golden colour when cooked.
Cooking Tips
Don't presoak. Will cook in about 10 minutes, and after that turn to mush, so test them as they approach the ten minute mark and if you need them to stay intact for what you are making, be ready to whistle them out of the water.
Substitutes
Any kind of lentil.
Equivalents
1 pound dry lentils = 450g = 2 1/3 cups = 7 cups cooked
Also called:  Egyptian Lentils
Masoor Dahl Lentilles rouges (French) Rote Linsen (German) Lentejas Rojas (Spanish)
Other entries for Lentils
Beluga Lentils, Blue Lentils, Brown Lentils, Castelluccio Lentils, Colfiorito Lentils, Green du Berry Lentils, Ivory Lentils, Lentils, Marrone Lentils, Petite Crimson Lentils, Petite Golden Lentils, Red Chief Lentils, Red Lentils, Spanish Pardina Lentils, Urad Dal
Other entries for Legumes
Beans, Peas, Soybeans
Related Recipes
Carrot and Lentil Soup, Chickpea Crumble, Red Lentil and Sweet Pepper Dip, Spinach Dahl
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