Lentil Preparation
The seeds only need very little cooking. Lentils have a distinctive earthy flavor. They  can be used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America. Sometimes they are combined with some form of chicken or pork. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. In the Middle East such a dish of lentils and rice is called 'mujaddara' or 'mejadra'. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular Indian dish.