i became Vegan about 3 years ago. I am also gluten-free. I don't miss meat or dairy nearly as much as I thought I would.
I have recently adopted the Starch Solution, as outlined by Dr, John A. McDougall. Dr. McDougal explains the health benefits of eating potatoes, rice, corn and legumes, which he notes that many healthy indigenous cultures eat as their primary food. One big change is that he recommends consuming NO OIL, as they are just empty calories and pure fat. I have found that I can sauté using water or soup stock with no problem. This protocol is even helping me to lose weight.
Good thing that what keeps me alive and happy as a Vegan is dal. I am a huge lover of Indian cuisine, and dal is what Indians call lentils or pulses. In Indian cuisine there are many types dal, including these five:
Masoor - "red" or salmon colored, perhaps the most sumptuous dal.
Toor - which makes an incredible soup.
Chana -very similar to chick peas or garbanzos. Versatile and delicious.
Moong - also known as mung, can be sprouted, and is also used in Chinese and Thai food. Often combined with Basmati rice to make an Ayurvedic comfort food known as kichari.
Urad -used in the batter that makes dosas (Indian crepes) and idlis (a sort of rice dumpling.)
Dal comes in two forms, whole and split. The whole dal is useful if you want to sprout it, the split dal tend to cook faster.
You can also add black-eyed peas, kidney beans (known as rajma in India ), black beans, chick peas and the standard green "french" lentils to the list of lentils used in Indian cuisine.
Dals are usually finished with a tarka, a mixture of spices and other flavorful ingredients, which are sautéd and then added to the dal. Tarkas are essential, and can make or break the dal. What you see at the top of this page i san example of some dal. Some dals are watery that they can be eaten as soup, others have a thicker consistency and are served over rice, or eaten with Indian flatbreads.
Lentils (dals) are very healthy legume, and area good source of plant-based protein. If you're Vegan or not, I encourage you to try this delicious food!