page_title: Dal
section_title: Common ingredients
hierarchical_section_title: Dal / Common ingredients
caption_attribution_description: English: This is an image of Sanna, a Goan variant of idli
context_page_description: Dal is a term used in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses that do not require pre-soaking. The term is also used for various soups prepared from these pulses. These pulses are among the most important staple foods in South Asian countries, and form an important part of the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent.
context_section_description: Pigeon pea, i.e., yellow pigeon peas, is available either plain or oily. It is called thuvaram paruppu in Tamil Nadu, thuvara parippu in Kerala and is the main ingredient for the dish sambar. In Karnataka it is called togari bele and is an important ingredient in bisi bele bath. It is called kandi pappu in Telugu and is used in the preparation of a staple dish pappu charu. It is also known as Arhar dal in northern India.
  Chana dal is produced by removing the outer layer of black chickpeas and then splitting the kernel. Although machines can do this, it can be done at home by soaking the whole chickpeas and removing the loose skins by rubbing.  In Karnataka it is called kadle bele. Other varieties of chickpea may be used, e.g., kabuli dal.
  Yellow split peas are very prevalent in the Indian communities of Guyana, Fiji, Suriname, South Africa, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, and are popular amongst Indians in the United States as well as India. There, it is referred to generically as dal and is the most popular dal. It is prepared similarly to dals found in India, but may be used in recipes. The whole dried pea is called matar or matar dal in India. The whole dried yellow pea is the main ingredient in the common Bengali street food ghugni.
  Split mung beans (mung dal) is by far the most popular in Bangladesh and West Bengal (moog dal, (মুগ ডাল)). It is used in parts of South India, such as in the Tamil dish ven pongal. Roasted and lightly salted or spiced mung bean is a popular snack in most parts of India.
  Urad dal, sometimes referred to as "black gram", is a primary ingredient of the south Indian dishes idli and dosa. It is one of the main ingredients of East Indian (Odia and Bengali or Assamese) bori, sun-dried dumplings. The Punjabi version is dal makhani. It is called uddina bele in Karnataka, biulir dal in Bengali. It is rich in protein.
  Masoor dal: split red lentils. In Karnataka, it is called kempu (red) togari bele.
  Rajma dal: split kidney beans.
  Mussyang is from dals of various colours found in various hilly regions of Nepal.
  Panchratna dal (Hindi/Urdu) ("five jewels") is a mixture of five varieties of dal, which produces a dish with unique flavour.
  Pulses may be split but not hulled; they are distinguished from hulled dals by adding the word chilka (skin).
caption: Idlis, steamed rice and black lentil (de-husked) cakes.
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