Dal

Dal

Lentils are a staple ingredient in South Asian cuisine. Clockwise from upper right: split red lentils, common green whole lentils, and Le Puy lentils both with their outer coats visible
Main ingredients	Lentils, peas or beans
Cookbook: Dal  Media: Dal

Dal or Dhal (IPA: [d̪aːl]) is a dried pulse (lentil, pea or various types of bean) which has been split.

The outer hull is usually stripped off; dal that has not been hulled is described as chilka (skin), e.g. chilka urad dal, mung dal chilka.^[1][2] The word dal is also used to name the thick stew prepared from these pulses, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi cuisine. Dal or lentils is staple food eaten with rice and roti or chapati (wheat-based flat bread) throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal where Dal Bhat (literally: dhal and rice) is the staple food for much of the population. Dal is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing no meat.

Etymology

The word dāl derives from the Sanskrit verbal root dhal- "to split".^[3] Dhal is sometimes referred to generically as a "dhal bean" rather than, say, "urad dhal".

Usage in South Asia

Dhal preparations is eaten with rice, as well as roti, chapati and naan in Indian subcontinent. In India, it is eaten with rice and with a wheat flatbread called roti. The manner in which it is cooked and presented varies by region. In South India, dhal is primarily used to make the dish called sambar. It is also used to make pappu that is mixed with charu and rice.

Proteins

Dal Tadka served with rice and papad, staple meal in South Asia.

Its protein contents are 3.5 times that of rice and 2.5 times that of wheat. It provides an excellent source of protein, particularly for those adopting vegetarian diets or diets which do not contain much meat. It is typically around 25% protein by dry weight, giving it a comparable protein content to meats. However, by weight, cooked (boiled) dal contains 9% protein, 70% water, 20% carbohydrates (includes 8% fiber), 1% fat.^[4] Note that as extra water is added to cooked dal, as in the case of Sambar, proportion of proteins and other nutrients will reduce further. Protein contents of cooked Dal^[5] are one third that of cooked chicken.^[6] Most Dals (except Soybean, being exceptionally higher) have similar amount of protein. Within the vegetarian group, only soybean has complete protein (has constituent amino acids in right proportions). All other dals including Toor Dal do not have individual amino acids within protein in ideal proportion (unlike, eggs and meats). However, if dal is eaten with rice or wheat (roti), it provides amino acids in the right proportions, making it complete protein. (See Protein combining.) Bioavailability of proteins from dals is less than those from eggs and meats.

Split toor dhal, a common variety of dhal

Note: Average daily protein requirements are 55 grams per person.

Ch. = Choline; Ca = Calcium; Fe = Iron; Mg = Magnesium; P = Phosphorus; K = Potassium; Na = Sodium; Zn = Zinc; Cu = Copper; Mn = Manganese; Se = Selenium; %DV = %Daily value i.e. % of DRI ( Dietary reference intake ) Note : All nutrient values including protein are in %DV per 100 grams of the food item. Significant values are highlighted in light Gray color and bold letters.^[13][14] Cooking reduction = % Maximum typical reduction in nutrients due to boiling without draining for Ovo-lacto-vegetables group^[15][16]

Minerals and vitamins

It is also rich in the B vitamins thiamine and folic acid, as well as several minerals, notably iron and zinc. Note that absorption of this iron is reduced by about 65% if tea is consumed immediately after meal. This is important for vegetarians since tea reduces iron absorption from all plant sources including Dal significantly.^[17] Iron absorption can be increased by about up to 85% by having vitamin C rich foods such as Guava or Orange juice along with meal. Vitamin C contents of lentils can be increased up to 10.5 times by sprouting.^[18][19] (See sprouting).

Ch. = Choline; Ca = Calcium; Fe = Iron; Mg = Magnesium; P = Phosphorus; K = Potassium; Na = Sodium; Zn = Zinc; Cu = Copper; Mn = Manganese; Se = Selenium; %DV = % daily value i.e. % of DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) Note: All nutrient values including protein are in %DV per 100 grams of the food item. Significant values are highlighted in light Gray color and bold letters.^[20][21] Cooking reduction = % Maximum typical reduction in nutrients due to boiling without draining for ovo-lacto-vegetables group^[22][23] Q = Quality of Protein in terms of completeness without adjusting for digestability.^[23]

Common varieties

Dal tadka

• Toor dal, 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. Toor Dal 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.
• Chana dal is produced by removing the outer layer of kala chana (black chickpeas) and then splitting the kernel. Although machines can do this, it can also be done at home by soaking the whole chickpeas and removing the loose skins by rubbing. Other varieties of chickpea may also be used, e.g. kabuli dal.

plain dal served with roti, sauteed vegetables and mango pickle.

• Yellow split peas, are very prevalent in the Indian communities of Fiji Islands, Guyana and Trinidad, 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, although masoor dal and toor dal are also used. It is prepared similarly to dals found in India, but also may be used in a variety of other recipes.
• Mung dal or moong dal, split mung beans, is by far the most popular in Bangladesh. It is also used in parts of South India, such as in the Tamil dish ven pongal. Roasted and lightly salted or spiced moong dal is a popular snack in most parts of India.
• Urad dal, sometimes referred to as "black gram", is the main ingredient of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala (South Indian states) dishes idli and dosa. It is also one of the main ingredients of East Indian (oriya and Bengali or Assamese) bori, sun-dried dumplings. The Punjabi version is dal makhani. In Karnataka, it is called uddina bele. It is rich in protein.
• Masoor dal is 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 ("five jewels") is a mixture of five varieties of dal, which produces a dish with unique flavour.
• Various pulses may be split but not hulled; they are distinguished from hulled dal by adding the word chilka (skin).

Split and whole pulses

Although dhal generally refers to split pulses, whole pulses are known as sabit dhal and split pulses as dhuli dhal.^[24] The hulling of a pulse is intended to improve digestibility and palatability, but as with milling of whole grains into refined grains, affects the nutrition provided by the dish, reducing dietary fibre content.^[25] Pulses with their outer hulls intact are also quite popular in India and Pakistan as the main cuisine. Over 50 different varieties of pulses are known in India and Pakistan.

Preparing dhal

Dal tadka served over rice.

Most dhal recipes are quite simple to prepare. The standard preparation begins with boiling a variety of dhal (or a mix) in water with some turmeric, salt to taste, and then adding a fried garnish at the end of the cooking process. In some recipes, tomatoes, tamarind, unripe mango, or other ingredients are added while cooking the dhal, often to impart a sour flavour.

The fried garnish for dhal goes by many names, including chaunk and tadka. The ingredients in the chaunk for each variety of dhal vary by region and individual tastes. The raw spices (more commonly cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida, and sometimes fenugreek seeds and dried red chili pepper) are first fried for a few seconds in the hot oil on medium/low heat. This is generally followed by ginger, garlic, and onion, which are generally fried for 10 minutes. After the onion turns golden brown, ground spices (turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, garam masala, etc.) are added. The chaunk is then poured over the cooked dhal.

See also

• Chaunk/Tarka (in Punjabi and Urdu)
• Dal bati churma
• Dal biji
• Ezogelin soup
• Lentil soup
• Pea soup
• Pigeon pea
• Vada

References

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