Dal (also spelled dhal, dahl, or daal) is a Sanskrit term common to many South Asian languages referring to pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split, as well as to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian cuisine. The latter can be seen as a milder cousin of the South Indian sambar. The hulling of a pulse is intended to improve digestibility and palatability, but carries some cost in nutrition by reducing fiber content, not unlike that suffered in the milling of whole grains into refined grains.

Over 50 different varieties of pulses are known in India. The most popular dals include:

• Toor dal (tuvar Gujarat or arhar Bengal or kandi pappu Telugu or Tuvara Parippu Malayalam): Made from pigeon peas.
• Chana dal (chholar dal Bengal or sanaga pappu Telugu): Made from chickpeas.
• Mung dal (pesara or uddhi pappu Telugu) : Made from mung beans.
• Urad dal (kolai dal Bengal or minapa pappu Telugu): Made from urad, sometimes referred to in English as black gram.
• Masoor dal : Made from red lentils.
• Kala chana: small chick peas with brown skins

A dal recipe

An easy recipe for dal:

• 1 cup dal
• 2 cups water
• ½ inch ginger
• ¼ tsp turmeric

Boil the above in a pressure cooker or a pot until cooked.

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 curry leaves
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• red chili powder

Fry the garlic in peanut oil until light brown and add remaining ingredients. Fry till the mustard seeds pop. Add to cooked dal. Add salt to taste. Garnish with coriander. Serve with steamed rice. The dal is spicy.

Indian cuisine | Rajasthani cuisine | Andhra Cuisine

See also

• Dal Makhni
• Lentil

External links

• Traditional yellow dal recipe
• Chana Dal
• Dal Makhani
• Nepalese recipe

Dal | Dal