The market · Beans and pulses · South Asia

Urad dal

Black gram: sold whole and black, split with skin, or split and skinned white. White urad gives idli and dosa batter its fluff; whole black urad makes dal makhani.

earthy · silky · mild

What to do with it

Classics built on it
GujaratiHandvoA savoury cake of fermented rice and lentil batter with grated bottle gourd, baked or pan-cooked until crusty and topped with a mustard and sesame tempering.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianMasala dosaA thin, crisp pancake of fermented rice and lentil batter, folded around spiced potato and served with sambar and coconut chutney.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianIdliSoft, spongy cakes of fermented rice and lentil batter, steamed in moulds and eaten with sambar and chutney.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Whole black urad
For dal makhani — simmered for hours.
Split, skinned (white)
For idli, dosa and vada batters, and fried in tempering.

Goes with

ricegheegingerfenugreek seed

Knowing it

Where to buy
Indian grocers.
Worth knowing
For idli and dosa, grind the soaked dal with very cold water until light and fluffy before mixing with the rice.

Kitchens that keep it in

South India — the southern peninsula, between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of BengalSouth IndianRice, lentils, coconut and tamarind: fermented batters, sour broths and a sizzle of mustard seed and curry leaves, from the tiffin that starts the day to the feast on a banana leaf.10 classics

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