Dal

InIndian cuisine,dal(also spelleddaalordhalpronunciation:[d̪aːl]),parippu,pappu, orparuppuare dried, splitpulses(e.g.,lentils,peas, andbeans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pulses in the world.The term is also used for varioussoupsprepared from these pulses. These pulses are among the most importantstaple foodsinSouth Asian countries, and form an important part of thecuisines of the Indian subcontinent.
The worddāl(dal) derives from theSanskritverbal rootdal-"to split",which is inherited fromProto-Indo-European*delh₁-"to split, divide".
Lentils are among the most ancient cultivated foods; they have been found in human settlements dating back to theBronze Age.Researchers have dated the preparation and cooking of split dal as far back as 800-300 BC.
Dal as a staple food has been mentioned in many ancient religious texts, including theYajurveda, theMahayana BuddhistLaṅkāvatāra Sūtra, and the Bible:
Dal are often prepared in three different forms:
The hulling of a pulse is intended to improve digestibility and palatability. It also affects the nutrition provided by the dish, significantly increasing protein and reducingdietary fibrecontent.Pulses with their outer hulls intact are also quite popular in the Indian subcontinent as the main cuisine. Over 50 different varieties of pulses are known in the Indian subcontinent.
Dal is frequently eaten withflatbreads, such asrotisorchapatis,or with rice. The latter combination is calleddal bhatinNepali,Gujarati, and various other Indian languages. In addition, certain types of dal are fried, salted, and eaten as a dry snack, and a variety of savory snacks are made by frying a paste made from soaked and ground dals in different combinations, to which other ingredients, such as spices and nuts (commonlycashews) may be added.
Dal preparations are eaten with rice,chapatiandnaanon theIndian subcontinent. The manner in which it is cooked and presented varies by region. In South India, dal is often called "paruppu". It is primarily used to make a dish calledsambar. It is also used to makeparipputhat is mixed withcharuand rice. Ground chana dal is used to make a paste called besan, which is used in the preparation of many dishes includingbhajiand Mediterranean dishes likefarinata.
Most dal recipes are quite simple to prepare. The standard preparation begins with boiling a variety of dal (or a mix) in water with someturmeric, salt to taste, and then adding a fried garnish at the end of the cooking process.In some recipes, tomatoes,kokum, unripemango,jaggery, or other ingredients are added while cooking the dal, often to impart a sweet-sour flavour.
The fried garnish for dal goes by many names, includingchaunk,tadka/tarka,bagar,fodni, andphoran. The ingredients in thechaunkfor each variety of dal vary by region and individual tastes. The raw spices (more commonlycumin seeds,mustard seeds,asafoetida, and sometimesfenugreek seedsand driedred chili pepper) are first fried for a few seconds in the hot oil on medium/low heat. This is generally followed byginger, garlic, and onion, which are generally fried for 10 minutes. After the onion turns golden brown, ground spices (turmeric,coriander,red chili powder,garam masala, etc.) are added. Thechaunkis then poured over the cooked dal.
As the main ingredient of dal is the pulse used, it gains much of its nutritional properties from the pulse.
Note: All nutrient values including protein are in %DV per 100 grams of the food item. Significant values are highlighted in light gray color and bold letters.Cooking reduction = % Maximum typical reduction in nutrients due to boiling without draining for ovo-lacto-vegetables group.