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Black Lentil

Black lentils are small dark legumes used in soups, stews, salads, and spiced legume dishes.

Black Lentil — illustrative ingredient image

About Black Lentil

Black lentil is a commercial name for a small, dark-skinned legume. In different markets it can mean a genuinely dark lentil or a black gram product, so the botanical identity should be read from the label when it matters. It is used in soups, stews, salads, and seasoned pulse dishes.

The seeds are commonly black or very dark brown on the outside, with a paler interior when split or cooked. A true dark lentil may remain pleasantly distinct and hold its shape, while black gram can become softer and creamier. Flavour likewise follows the underlying legume.

Black lentil products may be sold whole or split, and cooking changes their tenderness, colour, and shape retention. Soaking usually shortens cooking time. Packaging, seed shape, and cooking instructions help distinguish the product when a recipe requires lentil rather than black gram.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where black lentil appears

1 linked foods

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Snacks

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for black lentil

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Black Lentil

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Black Lentil nutrition & diet

Black Lentil nutritional value

Reference: Lentils, black, beluga, uncooked

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the named reference form.

Calories
278kcal
Protein
22.5g
Carbs
30.5g
Fat
2.0g

Per 100 g edible portion. Source: Norwegian Food Composition Table, Norwegian Food Safety Authority, www.matvaretabellen.no; retrieved 20 September 2026. The reference preparation and fat level are part of the food definition. Values may differ by recipe, brand and preparation.

Portions & preparation

Establish whether “black lentil” means a particular dark-skinned lentil variety and match whole, split, dry, soaked, boiled, canned, or sprouted form. Cooking changes texture and edible yield. Spiced lentil dishes, salads, and stews require separate assessment for added oil, salt, vegetables, grains, and animal ingredients.

Compare the right form: Confirm the exact lentil variety and match whole or split, dry, soaked, cooked, canned, or sprouted form, including cooking liquid.

Diet considerations

Black lentils are plant-derived legumes, but the exact variety should be confirmed. Plain cooked lentils differ from preparations containing ghee, butter, meat, poultry, seafood, or animal stock. Lentil-rice dishes, breads, and grain-based accompaniments can change carbohydrate patterns, while packaged versions require ingredient review.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically incompatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically incompatible
This profile falls outside the conventional paleo pattern used here (grains and pseudograins, legumes, dairy or refined sugar).
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Norwegian Food Composition Table — Lentils, black, beluga, uncooked ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .