Dal

Dal can refer to dried pulses—such as lentils, peas, and beans—or to a finished dish made from them. Dal may be served as a soup, a soft puree, or a thicker side dish. Because many split pulses cook without presoaking, they are a practical ingredient for learning Indian cooking.

How dal varieties are named

The name often tells you whether the pulse is:

• split or whole
• skinned or unskinned

Common types of dal

Masoor dal (split red lentils)

Masoor dal works well in soups or as a puree to spread on bread. It is the split version of the whole masoor lentil. When cooked, the dal turns yellow. Recommended cooking time is no more than 20 minutes. Spelling may vary: masoor, masar, or mussoor.

Moong dal (mung beans)

Moong dal is excellent for a thick dal; cooking may take about an hour. Whole mung beans with their green skins are also called green gram.

Yellow moong dal

Yellow moong dal is split and skinned mung bean. It works well in soups and purees and has a lighter texture than whole green mung beans.

Chana dal (split chickpeas)

Chana dal is meaty and commonly used for thick dal. Ground chana dal is sold as besan, gram flour, or chickpea flour. Besan is used for foods such as pakoras and as a binding ingredient in sweets. The spelling may also appear as channa dal.

Toor dal (split pigeon peas)

Toor dal is a widely used ingredient in Indian cooking and an important ingredient in sambar. Other names include tuvar, toovar, arhar, and kandhi pappu.

Urad dal (black gram)

Whole black gram is commonly called sabut urad, while urad dal may be split with or without the skin. It is used in dips, soups, batters, and papadums and may also be roasted and ground.

Keep learning

Continue with the Indian cuisine lessons, learn about garam masala, or choose a dish from the free recipe directory.