Dals – Indian term used for Lentils

Dals are a huge part of Indian diet. They are low in fat and rich in fiber and protein. There are many different varieties of dals which have a specific use in Indian cooking.

Dal has a very earthy flavor and are versatile to cook. You can soak them, grind them or sprout them. They are used to make Dal tadka, Sambhar, Dal palak and many more Indian dishes.

INGREDIENT HINDI NAME DESCRIPTION Chana Dal means Bengal gram Split Chana dal is a split polished dal made by removing outer layer of black chana. They have a sweet flavor. Chole /Kabuli chana means Garbanzo beans OR Chick peas Garbanzo beans are a tasty legume. They can be tossed into salads, mashed into falafels and patties and also used as lentils to create a famous Indian dish called Chole Bhature. Chori means Red beans Green Chilka dal means Green Split peas Very flavorful and very light dal. Kale chane means Black chana Smaller version of garbanzo beans or white chole but in darker color. Rich in protein. Lobia means Black eyed beans Also known as Roongi or Chawali. Masoor dal means Split red lentil Pink in color and cooks in 10 minutes roughly 1 pressure cooker whistle. Mung/ Moong Dhuli dal means Yellow dal or washed yellow dal Also known as Split green gram without skin. The Famous tadka dal. Rajma means Kidney Beans Difference between dark and light Kidney beans - The dark kidney beans seem to stay hard, even though cooked for a long time, on the other hand light kidney beans cook faster and get softer early. If cooked for longer time it will dissolve in the gravy. Sabut urad means Whole black beans Popularly known as "Maa ki dal" or Makhni Dal. Sabut Moong dal means Whole green beans Full of proteins and used in sprouts and as topping for salads. White vatana means dried white peas Also known as Matar ( not to be confused with green matar) and when cooked makes famous dishes like MATAR with Kulcha and Ragda patties. Urad Chilka dal means Split black gram with skin Simple dal often cooked with chana dal. Urad dal means Split black gram White in color, without skin and has a mild flavor to it. When cooked it becomes stickier but flavorful. Tuvar dal or Arhar dal means Pigeon peas OR yellow split peas Contains high levels of proteins and is used commonly in Indian cooking. Prepares a famous dish called SAMBHAR.