5 most popular types of Indian dal used in cooking

Dal is the staple Indian food and numbers of recipes can be made with it. Starting from khichdi to soup, flat-bread and many other different and delicious recipes are made from the dal.

Dal is the primary source of protein for the vegetarian and most of the Indian people are vegetarian hence they used to eat the dal in their meal on a daily basis.

Here are some of the most commonly used dal in India. Moreover, as India is a huge country the dishes and taste of the recipes are varied from place to place.

So, let’s see the types of dal used in Indian according to their use in different recipes.

Types of dal

Chana dal

Chana dal is also called split Bengal gram which is usually purchased in split form. It is a small chickpea which has a nutty flavor used in curries or ground into flour.

Chana dal can also be used to make puran poli (flat-breads), koftas and vegetarian pancakes (cheela). Moreover, it takes very less time to cook compared to other types of dal.

Toor dal

Toor dal is also known as split pigeon pea is one of the most important pulses in the Gujarati household.

The famous recipe of Gujarati dal is made with this dal which has a combination of a spicy, sweet and sour taste.

The great amount of folic acid in toor dal helps to prevent the birth complication and neural birth effect. Moreover, the fiber in the toor dal helps to improve the digestion system also.

You can buy the rentio tuwar dal as it comes with great quality and nutrition which is the best option to add in your meal.

Urad dal

The Urad dal comes with black seed having a white interior on it. It will look very similar to the moong bean but the taste of moong bean and Urad dal is totally different.

Usually, Urad dal can be used in three from like as a whole form or split from or skinned form. This dal is harder compared to other types of dal so soaking is recommended for this dal.

When the whole Urad dal is split and the skin is left on then it looks like a black lentil as a white interior.
The split Urad dal is rich in fiber, help to improve the digestion and provide the nutrition to your body to keep your heart healthy.

Mung dal

Mung dal is high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Most of the time mung dal is used for soup, salad, and dips.

Moreover, the split form of the mung dal gives you a high amount of protein and fiber. You can serve it with plain or white rice for a vegetarian dish.

Masoor dal

Masoor dal is also known as red lentil which is one of the most common types of dal used in Indian cooking. The Masoor dal can be differentiated into two types as a whole masoor dal and split masoor dal.

Masoor dal is well-known for its short cooking time and mild flavor bring to the recipe. Generally, the masoor dal is used for aromatic curries, soups, and healthy salad and many other rice recipes.

The soaking time of the masoor dal is very small as compared to any other dal. Moreover, the lentils take 15-20 minutes to cook while masoor dal needs only 5-7 minutes to cook.

Final words

This is all you need to know about the different types of well-known Indian dal used in cooking. In addition to this, the quality of the dal also matters a lot for your cooking.

For instance, either you buy toor dal online or offline or any other dal, the quality of the product should be your priority as it helps you to give the intact amount of nutrition in your meal.

So, use premium quality dal in your meal and keep your body healthy and fit.