INDIAN DAL | INDIAN LENTILS | HOW TO COOK DAL PERFECTLY

This post is about commonly used Indian dals or lentils, their English name, and tips to cook any dal perfectly.

Lentils or dal are an excellent source of protein, and they are used almost daily in Indian cooking, from making dal, khichdi, payasam (kheer), and laddus.

I will keep updating this post with different lentils and dals as and when I fill my pantry. Below are the dals that I use more frequently in my cooking.

Hindi Names and English Names for Dal and Lentil are given below

• Sabut in Hindi means whole lentils. Whole lentils can be processed further by peeling the skin off (dehusked) and splitting them.
• Split and dehusked lentils are often referred to as dal or dahl.
• Husked & split lentils are referred to as dhuli.

Toor Dal or Split Piegon Peas

Toor dal is used to make sambar or tempered dal, or any flavored dal. Split Pigeon Peas are referred to as Toor dal in Hindi. It is called thuvaram paruppu in Tamil, thuvara parippu in Malayalam, togari bele in Kannada, kandi pappu in Telugu, arhar dal, tuvr, tur, etc., in northern parts of India.

Urad Dal or Split & Dehusked Black Gram Lentils

Urad Dal is used in preparing idli, dosa, vada, etc., i.e., popular south Indian breakfast dishes. It is also used to make dal makhani - a popular Punjabi dish, and bori, which are sun-dried dumplings consumed in eastern parts of India. Dal vada, Bhallas in Dahi Bhalla, Kachoris, Dhokla, sookhi urad dal, urad dal khichdi/rice, etc., are popular dishes that use this dal.

Urad dal is also used to temper several South Indian chutneys and curries. Protein-packed laddus are also prepared using Urad dal. This is called uddina bele in Kannada, biulir dal in Bengali, uzhunnu parippu in Malayalam, ulundu paruppu, Muzhu ulundhuin Tamil, and minapa pappu in Telugu. Other urad dal delicacies include papads or pappodu or papadam, ghaari served at Karkala Venkatarama temple, biscuit ambado, khotto, moodo, etc. 

Moong Dal, Yellow Lentils, Mung Beans or Green Mung Beans

Moong Dal is used to make pongal (ven pongal, also called khichdi) or jaggery-based payasam (kheer). In Middle-Eastern, Spanish, and Western cuisines, yellow lentils are used to make protein-packed vegetarian and non-vegetarian soups. Yellow lentils are called Payatham paruppu in Tamil, pesara pappu in Telugu, and Cheru Payaru Parippu in Malayalam.

Pesarattu, the famous breakfast from Andhra and Telangana region, is prepared using Green Mung Beans. Moong dal is also used to fill kachoris, pathrode, etc. Dosas, Idlis, Upma/Usli are often prepared using yellow lentils, especially on fasting days. 

Masoor Dal or Red, Orange Pink Lentils

Masoor dal can be used in recipes where toor dal is used. It is called kempu togari bele in Kannada, masar or masur dal in northern parts of India.

Sabut Masoor Dal or Brown lentils

Sabut Masoor Dal can be used to make any recipes that use toor dal or husked whole urad dal. I will be sharing recipes using brown lentils soon.

Split Chickpea Lentil or Chana Dal

Chana Dal is produced by removing the outer skin of black chickpeas and then splitting the kernel. It is called Kadle bele in Kannada, Bengal gram in English, chane ki dal or booter ki dal in Hindi, Kadalai paruppu in Tamil, Chanyachi dal in Marathi, senaga pappu in Telugu, and kadala parippu in MalayalamMalayalam. Chana Dal Sabudana Kheer is my favorite recipe using split chickpea lentils. It is used as a tempering ingredient and thickener in South Indian dishes and sometimes in dosa batter.

How to cook dal or lentils perfectly?

Soaking:

I generally never soak lentils. Just wash it nicely till water runs clear and pressure cook for 3 whistles (one on high flame and 2 on medium flame). The spices I add balance any acidity in the dal.

But if you are among the foodies who find it difficult to digest the lentils, then soak it for 1 or 2 hours, drain, and then cook it with fresh water. One more benefit of soaking is it reduces the cooking time by 25%.

Cooking :

Always add water equivalent to 2 to 3 times the amount of lentil while cooking. So for 1 cup dal while pressure cooking, add 2 ½ to 3 cups, but while cooking in a pot, the amount of water needed will be 3 cups or more. While cooking 1 cup dal in an Instant Pot, add 3 cups of water. The lentil must be covered in water. The cooking time varies depending on the cooking method, location, and flame intensity.

Dal in Pressure Cooker

In Mangalore, which is at sea level, we generally cook lentils for three whistles, one on high flame and two on medium flame. But the number of whistles also depends on the type of pressure cooker you are using. If you are using Prestige/Butterfly pressure cookers, then three whistles is a good/tested benchmark. You will have to do trial and error to see what works for you. One should also be aware that the type of water - hard or soft - also influences the cooking time. A longer cooking time is needed if the water is hard. The flame's intensity also changes the cooking time. More importantly, the place you stay, i.e., the altitude above sea level, also affects the cooking time of dal. Higher the altitude, the longer the cooking time. 

Once the dal is cooked, let the pressure release naturally. Then whisk it nicely so that it becomes smooth and creamy.

Cooking dal in a large pot

If using a large pot for cooking dal on a stovetop, add washed dal and sufficient water, bring it to boil on high flame, reduce the flame, and continue to cook it partially covered until it becomes soft and mushy.  And if the water level drops during the cooking process, add more hot water, ensuring the dal is submerged in water at all times.

While cooking dal, if a frothy layer is formed on top, you can skim it off using a spoon.

Instant pot Dal

Add washed and rinsed dal along with water to your IP. Cover the IP and position the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, and then release any remaining pressure manually. Open the lid and whisk it nicely. Use it in the recipe needed.

How can I increase the shelf life of dal or lentils?

Store the lentil in an air-tight container and always use dry cups to take them from the jar. To avoid insects, you can add a few bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, or even some cloves to the container.

How to buy lentils or dal?

While visiting any Indian store, make sure you check the packing and expiry dates. Generally, old lentils take longer to cook and may have a rancid after-taste due to the presence of natural oils in the dal. A fresh batch of dal cooks faster plus tastes delicious and aromatic too. Also, prefer to buy unpolished lentils. Unpolished lentils cook faster, are less greasy, and are chemical-free.

To make dal less gassy or to avoid any gas problems after eating dal, here are a few tips :

• If you know well in advance that you will make dal, then soak the dal for some time, preferably overnight, and drain and add fresh water.
• You can add crushed garlic cloves for tempering.
• Asafoetida or Hing is a popular spice in Indian cooking, used while making dal recipes to avoid any gaseous problem.

Some of my popular and favorite Indian Dal & Lentil Recipes for breakfast, desserts & sweets, side dishes & main dishes

Pepper Dal	Moong Dal Khichdi
Butter Masala Dosa	Sambar Recipe
7 Different Dosa Recipes	Dosa Idli Batter
Mixed Vegetable Dal	Nippattu, Crackers
Moong Dal Sabudana Kheer	Chana Dal Sabudana Kheer
Moong Dal Khichdi	Urad Dal Laddu

Printable recipe on cooking dal or lentil

Recipe card

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NOTE

I will keep updating this post when I add a new recipe on my blog and fill my pantry with more lentils. Meanwhile, if you know the name of any lentils or dal in local languages, please comment below, and I will update the same in the post. Thanks.