Vegetarian

Inspired by a recipe by Padma Lakshmi in Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet. Go to http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/pondicherry-lentil-salad for details. I named this salad after a town in South India that was heavily influenced by French colonization. I love the easy mix of Eastern and Western flavors that this recipe exemplifies. The salad is made with small black lentils similar to French puy lentils but can be made with any black lentils. Here I use lentils that are named beluga, after the caviar, because of their appearance and minuscule size, especially when compared to other lentils. I love the crispness of the apple and peppers mingling with the soft texture of the lentils. This is a great salad to take on a picnic, and especially handy if you?re serving vegetarians who need a bit of substance to their meal. The ginger and coconut roasted in sesame oil give it a richer flavor than most run-of-the-mill lentil salads.