Dals can be very confusing for a beginner. I remember my mother trying to teach me as a child, and I would forget the names again and again. It was only when I started cooking that I just learned the names naturally.

Tuvar/ Toor/ Sambar dal or Pigeon Peas

This is probably the most commonly used dal all over India. It is very versatile, and can be served plain, with a tadka (tempering), with vegetables as a sambar, or even mixed with rice, as bisi bele bhaat.  It is very easy to cook, taking about half an hour when boiled and just 5 minutes when pressure cooked.

Mung dal

Mung dal is probably the healthiest of all dals, being very easy to digest. This dal is tri-doshic according to Ayurveda, which means that it is good for all body types when cooked correctly.

It contains plenty of potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, and vitamin B6, which translates to better muscle repair especially when working out, better health during pregnancy and less PMS problems.

This is the dal you eat when you enjoy those yummy dal fries at hotels. It is also the dal we use when we make the traditional khichdi. It is also soaked and served raw in some salads.

When the mung dal is simply split and sold, it retains it’s green cover and obviously has more fiber than the previous version. This dal can be served plain, is used in panchmel dal and can be paired with dal baati. When soaked and ground, this dal can be used to make cheela, a dosa-like item.

Whole mung is very versatile. It is best used sprouted as that multiplies it’s nutritive value and also makes it easier to cook. The sprouts can be raw in salads or can be cooked and served as a dry side dish. It can also be used to make pulao.

Urad dal/ Ivory White Lentils

This is the dal used in making idlies. The wild yeast in this dal helps to ferment the batter, increasing the air content, making the idlies soft and airy. It is also used in making vadas of various types, medu vada  and dahi bada for instance.

Urad dal is sold as split white, split with skin, as well as whole urad dal, completely black.

The split with skin urad dal is either cooked plain or served as a very yummy khichdi. Whole urad dal is used in a variety of North Indian dishes like Maa ki dal and the very rich, very popular Dal Makhani.

Masoor dal/ Red Lentils

Split (dhuli) masoor dal is orange in color but turns to a dull yellow when cooked. One unique thing about this dal is that if you soak even the dhuli masoor, ie the dal without the skin, it sprouts after a day. Apparently even after removing the peel, the seed remains intact.

Kali masoor takes longer to cook when compared to other dals, because of the skin. It is best to soak it overnight and then pressure cook it for ten minutes. It is a very rich and full bodied dal, but is not consumed too frequently by most people. As a result, when tempered simply with cumin, onions, tomatoes and spices, it impresses most people, even though it is actually so easy to cook.

Chana dal/ Split Bengal gram

The biggest confusion is usually between the tuvar dal and chana dal, as they can look similar at a glance. If you look closely however, there are quite different, tuvar dal being smaller and flatter.

Chana dal takes much longer to cook and it is usually a good idea to soak it for a few hours before cooking it. It is heavier on the stomach and is therefore used less frequently. Typical dishes using this dal would be panchmel dal, puran poli and parippu vada.

Chana/ Kadala/ Chickpea/ Garbanzo Beans

This is slightly different from chana dal. Chana is older, bigger, less sweet and has a higher glycemic index. Punjabi chole or chana masala is a very popular dish all over India. Pakistanis use this in a lovely, delicate dish, chana pulao. Chana chat is another wonderful summer snack.

Kala Chana/ Whole Bengal Gram

This is completely different in taste as well as texture, from the normal white chickpeas. It is commonly cooked during festivals, and is considered to be a very sattvik food, associated with the Goddess.

It is also easier to digest than the chickpeas. The most common way of eating it is to soak it overnight, pressure cook, add a few spices and temper it before serving. It is also served as a curry in some parts of the country.