Dal Not Cooking: Old Dal vs New Dal and How to Soften It
If your daal stays hard after a long soak and three whistles, the daal is probably old, not you. Pulses that sit in storage for a long time can become stubborn, and no amount of extra boiling fully fixes it. Here is how to judge old daal against new, rescue a stubborn batch and decide when to stop trying.
The short version
- Cause: long or warm, humid storage makes some pulses resist softening (food scientists call it the hard-to-cook effect).
- Rule out first: hard water, and a cooker that is not reaching pressure.
- Rescue: a longer soak, a salt-water soak, more cooking time, and keeping sour ingredients for the end.
- Discard if: it smells musty or rancid, shows insects or mould, or is still rock-hard after the rescue steps.
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Why does some dal never soften?
Pulses change as they age. During long storage, especially in heat and humidity, the seed coat and the cell walls inside the seed change so that the cells hold together more firmly when heated. Water and heat then struggle to loosen them, so the lentil stays firm while the water goes cloudy. Published food science work on beans and cowpeas describes this as the hard-to-cook phenomenon, and it develops during storage.
It is not a sign that the daal is unsafe by itself. It does mean the daal is past its best, and it often means a fuel-hungry pot.
How do I tell old daal from new crop daal?
There is no label that always tells you, so use your eyes, nose and hands. New-crop daal looks bright and even, smells clean and slightly sweet, and softens in the usual time. Old daal looks dull or faded, may have a darker or yellowish cast, feels dry and flinty, and may smell flat or faintly stale.
- Colour: toor and chana daal fade towards dull yellow-brown; moong loses its fresh pale green-yellow.
- Smell: a handful cupped in warm hands should smell clean, not musty or oily.
- Broken grains and dust: lots of powder and tiny holes point to weevils and long storage.
- Price and turnover: shops with fast turnover usually sell fresher stock. Ask when the new crop arrives; most pulses see fresh stock after the main harvest.
First, rule out the other usual suspects
Before you blame the daal, check two things. Hard water can keep pulses firm, and that has its own page: see the hard water and daal guide. Second, a weak cooker seal or too little water means the pot never reaches full pressure, so the daal cooks at a lower temperature than you think.
If you cook the same daal in the same water and the same cooker, and last month’s bag cooked fine, the new bag is the problem.
How can I make old daal soften?
- Long soak: soak for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, in plenty of water. Chana and toor need the longest. The timings per daal are in the soaking time chart.
- Salt-water soak: dissolve about a teaspoon of salt in each litre of soaking water. Rinse well afterwards and cook in fresh water. This is common kitchen practice rather than a tested method, and some cooks swear by it.
- Cook longer: in the pressure cooker, give old toor or chana 6 to 8 whistles instead of 3, then let the pressure fall naturally.
- Keep sour things for later: add tomato, tamarind, kokum or lemon only after the daal is soft.
- Mash and keep going: if the grains stay firm, mash well and simmer, or blend into a soup.
The two-step rescue
If a pot has been boiling for 40 minutes and the daal is still hard, do not keep adding water and waiting. Cool it, drain, cover with fresh water and a teaspoon of salt per litre and rest for an hour. Then cook again. Often the second cook succeeds where the first failed.
What about baking soda?
A pinch of baking soda does soften stubborn pulses, and many kitchens use it, but it comes with trade-offs for taste and nutrients. The full story is in the baking soda and daal article, so use it as a last resort rather than a habit.
How old is too old for daal?
There is no exact number of months. Well-stored dry pulses in a cool, dry, sealed container can stay edible for a long time, but cooking quality drops with age, heat and damp. For a family kitchen, aim to use a bag within 6 to 12 months and buy smaller quantities in monsoon and summer.
Store daal in an airtight steel or glass container, in a cool, dry place away from the stove. For weevil prevention and storage tricks, see the weevil-proof storage guide.
Discard daal that smells musty, sour or rancid, feels damp or clumped, has webbing, live insects or any mould. Do not wash and cook it anyway. Old pulses that were stored damp can grow mould. If anyone gets vomiting, stomach pain that persists, or a rash and swelling after eating, stop and see a doctor. People with kidney disease, high uric acid or on a restricted diet should ask their own doctor about daal quantities, whether old or new.
What should I buy to avoid this?
- Buy from a shop with quick turnover, and ask about the harvest or packing date on packs.
- Choose even, bright grains without much dust.
- Buy smaller packs in humid months.
- Keep a small tag with the purchase month on your daal tins.
More daal buying and cooking guides sit in Grains, Daals & Pulses.
Common questions about daal that will not cook
Why is my dal not softening even after pressure cooking?
The daal is probably old and stored for a long time, or your water is hard, or the cooker is not reaching pressure. Check those three, then soak longer and add more whistles.
How long should old dal cook?
Old toor or chana may need 6 to 8 whistles after a long soak, versus about 3 for fresh daal. Let the pressure fall naturally rather than releasing it.
Does salt stop dal from softening?
Salt in the soaking water is a common kitchen trick for old pulses, though it is practice rather than proven. Added in moderate amounts, it does not prevent softening for most cooks.
What is new crop dal?
It is daal from the latest harvest, before it has aged in storage. It usually cooks faster and softer. Ask your shop when fresh stock arrives.
How do I know if dal is old?
Look for dull colour, dryness, dust and tiny holes, and a stale or musty smell. The reliable test is a cooking test: if it stays hard after a long soak, it is aged.
Can hard water make dal not cook?
Yes, hard water can keep pulses firm. If you suspect it, read the hard water guide and try cooking with filtered or boiled-and-cooled water.
Is it safe to eat hard-to-cook dal?
Properly cooked old daal is generally fine to eat if it smells normal and shows no mould or insects. Undercooked, hard pulses can upset the stomach, so cook until soft or discard.
How old is too old for dal?
There is no exact limit, but quality drops after a year or so, faster in heat and damp. Throw away any that smells off or shows mould or insects.
Can I fix hard dal with baking soda?
A pinch can soften it, but it changes taste and affects some nutrients. Use it only as a last resort and read the baking soda guide first.