The lentil (Lens culinaris or Lens esculenta) is associate degree edible pulse. it's a bushy annual plant of the family Fabaceae, celebrated for its lens-shaped seeds. it'sregarding forty cm (16 in) tall, and also the seeds grow in pods, typically with 2 seeds in every.
In South Asian preparation, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) area unit called decalitre. typically eaten up with rice or rotis, the lentil may be a dietary staple throughout regions of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. As a food crop, the bulk of world production comes from North American nation, India, and Australia.