Urad Dal

Urad Dal

Whole Black Urad or black gram or black lentil is a bean grown in southern Asia. Black gram has been cultivated in India since ancient times. It is an erect, sub-erect or trailing, densely hairy annual herb. The tap root produces a branched root system with smooth, rounded nodules. The pods are narrow, cylindrical and up to 6 cm long. The whole bean, or the split and de-husked variety are used to make dal, for accompanying rotis and rice. It is also used to make the famous south Indian idli and dosa.

Urad dal OR Split black lentils or black gram dal is Skinned and split urad dal is creamy white and somewhat bland. When boiled, the dal has an unusual mucilaginous texture. Tempered aromatically, it can be used as an accompaniment to rotis and rice. Ground into flour or paste, it is extensively used in culinary preparations like dosa, idli, vada, and papad. In south Indian cuisine, urad dal is also commonly used for tempering. For such purposes, the white lentils are generally used.