Skip to content
FriendsPantry
Black gram (urad dal)

Beans, lentils & pulses · Lentils & dals

Black gram (urad dal)

Black gram, sold whole (black) or split and skinned (white); creamy in dal makhani and the base of idli and dosa batter.

Also called: urad, black lentils, mungo beans, maa ki dal, black gram

A kind of lentils

34 recipes with it

Photo: Sanjay Acharya, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Urad is a small bean (black gram, a Vigna, not a true lentil). Whole urad is matte black; split with skin is black-and-white; split and skinned it is creamy white. It turns thick and glutinous when cooked or ground, which gives dal makhani its creaminess and lets idli and dosa batters ferment light and fluffy. It is also fried in tempering for crunch.

Vigna mungo

How it’s used

  • Slow-cooked whole with kidney beans for dal makhani
  • Soaked and ground with rice for idli, dosa and vada
  • Fried in oil with mustard seeds as a South Indian tadka
  • Ground for papad

Characteristics

Taste
Earthy, rich and slightly nutty.
Texture
Creamy and somewhat sticky when cooked; crunchy when fried in tempering.
When cooked
Whole urad needs soaking and long cooking; ground urad batter traps air and ferments well.
Sold as
dried
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling, Used for tempering (tadka), Used for binding

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Store airtight in a cool, dry place; ground batter keeps a few days in the fridge after fermenting.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Cool cooked legumes quickly and refrigerate; reheat until piping hot and use within a few days.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
341 kcal
Protein
25.21 g
Carbohydrate
58.99 g
Fat
1.64 g
Fibre
18.3 g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Mung beans — In dals; less creamy. Not a good swap for idli or vada batter.

Related ingredients

Recipes with black gram (urad dal)

See all 34

22 more

More lentils & dals