I got into this discussion with an associate. To me all the varitieties of lentil taste just alike.
I like lentils but honestly can’t tell the difference, in taste between, green or red or other types.
They taste significantly different according to colour and type and method of cooking. You need to diversify.
Some are more nutty. Some are more peppery. Some are more earthy. Their range of flavors and textures is similar (to me) to beans. If you think all beans taste the same, then you will find lentils are similar in the same way. If you find a lot of difference between various kinds of beans, then lentils should be more different to you. In my experience, lentils aren’t quite as diverse in flavors and textures as beans, but they do have a range.
But the red ones disintegrate and just turn into a beige color. Still love the taste, but not much texture to them in a soup.
They’re more for making a creamy Indian dal. Red lentils are split brown lentils, and yellow lentils are split green lentils. For soup, you should use whole lentils for a better consistency, not split.
Every single one that we use in Indian cooking - and we use a lot - has a distinct taste and can rarely be substituted for another in a specific dish. Here is a quick primer of the major ones. I have given the common Hindi name for each in parentheses.
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Red Lentils (Masoor dal) - Quick cooking, sweet tasting. Smells vaguely farty when cold. One of my favorites for a simple daal disg
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Pigeon Peas - (Arahar or Toor Dal) - takes a while to cook. Most widely used.
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Moong Beans - (Moong Da) - Comes in a green and yellow and and whole and split in each. The whole ones take longer to cook. and each of taste distinctly different.
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Black Gram (Urad Dal) - Comes whole or split and with the skin on or off in each. Is kinda sticky after cooking. Essential for making South Indian dishes such as Idli and Dosa (rice cakes and crepes respectively)
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Bengal Gram (Chana Dal) - Takes longest to cook. Is quite dry after cooking even if cooked with a a lot of water. Distinctly nutty in taste
These are the major ones. I do understand the some of them can taste similar if they are heavily spiced.
No idea. Ask Neil.
No. Carryon.
I like to mix the red and brown lentils in soup. The reds cook down to a golden slurry nicely complementing the browns which remain whole & firm. It’s not so much a difference of taste but of texture.
You can blowtorch individual servings to a nice blackened colour before serving.
People write songs about a slurry with a singe on top.
Oh no, everyone tastes totally different. I myself have only ever liked the dark lentils, and I HATE split lentils, they are nasty.