Dals explained: five lentils and what each is for
"Dal" means both the lentil and the dish made from it. Five cover almost everything, and swapping one for another changes a dish completely — which is why a Punjabi dal and a Tamil one taste nothing alike despite the same short method.
| Dal | Also called | Character | Belongs in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toor / arhar | Split pigeon pea | Nutty, holds a little texture; the everyday default across much of India | Sambar, varan, everyday dal |
| Chana | Split brown chickpea | Firm, sweet, needs the longest cooking | Dal fry, sweets, tempered side dishes |
| Moong | Mung bean, split or whole | Lightest and quickest; the one given to people who are unwell | Khichdi, light dals, sprouts |
| Masoor | Red lentil | Fastest of all, collapses into softness, mildly sweet | Weeknight dal, Bengali cooking |
| Urad | Black gram, split or whole | Rich and almost creamy; the whole black version is what makes dal makhani | Dal makhani, idli and dosa batter, vada |
How a dal is actually made
The method barely changes: boil the lentil soft (pressure cooker, three or four whistles), then pour a tadka over it — spices bloomed in hot fat. What you put in the tadka is what makes it northern or southern, festive or plain. See the spice guide for the technique.
Whole or split?
Bags say sabut (whole) or dhuli (split and skinned). Split cooks in a fraction of the time and turns creamy; whole holds its shape and needs soaking. Recipes usually assume split unless they say otherwise.
Khichdi — rice and moong dal boiled together with turmeric and a little ghee — is the dish every household falls back on: quick, gentle, and what people eat when they're ill or exhausted. It is also, not coincidentally, the first solid food many Desi children ever eat.
Last updated: 2026-08-11
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