Urad Dal / Black Gram

Also known asUrad · Black Gram · Vigna mungo · Maash

Name: Urad dal, also called black gram or black lentil (Vigna mungo) — a small pulse sold whole with its black skin (sabut urad), split with the skin on (chilka), or skinned and split into creamy white urad dal. It is a bean rather than a true lentil, a relative of mung beans.

Description

Black gram is native to India, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years, and is one of the most important pulses of South Asia. The whole black beans are the main ingredient in dal makhani, slow-cooked with butter and cream, and the skinned, split white dal is ground with rice into the fermented batter for idli and dosa, and used in papad and vada.

When cooked, urad becomes sticky and slippery, with a creamy texture and an earthy, rich flavour, and it is a classic fermenting pulse, since the slimy mucilage gives batters a light, airy rise.

Main nutrition value

Urad dal is an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provides folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc, with little fat.

How best to be consumed

Urad dal is soaked, then ground or cooked until very soft.

1. Soak dried pulses in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse, which shortens cooking time and reduces gas.
2. Simmer whole black urad for 1 to 2 hours, or pressure-cook, until very soft, for dal makhani.
3. Soak and grind skinned dal with rice, then ferment overnight into batter for idli and dosa.
4. Make into vada, papad and curries, or temper whole spices into it.
5. Pair with ginger and asafoetida, which help digestion.
6. Use split white urad for quick dishes.

Overconsumption could cause…

Urad dal is healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in pulses, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
2. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes, and cross-reaction between chickpeas, lentils and peanuts in some.
3. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried pulses, which soaking and thorough cooking reduce.
4. Digestive upset from undercooked pulses, which contain natural lectins that thorough cooking destroys.
5. A lot of butter and cream in rich dishes such as dal makhani.

GroupsLentilsLegume familyIndian

Related foodsChana Dal / Split ChickpeasMasoor DalMoong DalToor Dal / Pigeon PeasBlack Lentils / Beluga LentilsBrown Lentils

Wikipedia — Vigna mungo, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigna_mungo