Types of Daal: Names in English, Urdu and Hindi, Sabut vs Dhuli (Video)

Transcript

Understanding Daal Types

Ever wonder why the same pulse can have three different names and three different looks? Let’s untangle the world of daals, from black chickpeas to moth beans, and see how the whole, split and split-and-skinned forms differ.

What’s in a name

Kala chana is the black chickpea, also called Bengal gram or desi chana. Matar daal refers to split dried peas. Matki isn’t moong at all, it’s the smaller, browner moth bean. The confusion often comes from one pulse appearing in three forms: whole, split with skin, and split and skinned, plus different names across languages.

At a glance

Here’s the quick cheat sheet. Sabut means the seed is whole with its skin on, it takes the longest to cook and packs the most fibre. Chilka is split in two but still carries the skin, landing in the middle. Dhuli is split and skinned, the fastest to cook and the gentlest on the stomach.

Pulses vs lentils

Start with the basics. A legume covers any plant in the pea and bean family, fresh pods and even groundnut. A pulse is the dried seed of a legume harvested for food, think chana, masoor, moong, rajma. A lentil is a specific pulse, the flat, lens-shaped masoor. Soybean and groundnut are usually left out of pulse lists because they’re mostly pressed for oil.

Common daal names

The quick lookup table lines up English, botanical, Urdu and Hindi names. Masoor is the red lentil, also called brown lentil, with sabut and dhuli forms. Moong, the green gram, comes as sabut, chilka and dhuli. Mash, known as urad or black gram, appears in black sabut and white dhuli. Finally, kala chana is the black chickpea, sold whole or as split dhuli.

Best uses

Each form shines in different dishes. Dhuli masoor cooks in about fifteen minutes without soaking and turns into a smooth, everyday dal. Sabut masoor keeps its shape for heartier, earthier curries. Dhuli moong is the lightest on the stomach, making it a go-to for sick-day soups and khichdi. Chilka moong sits between the two, offering a balance of texture and cooking speed.

Matki vs moong

No, they’re not the same. Moong is bright green, plump and roughly round. Matki, the moth bean, is smaller, flatter, and its colour ranges from tan to light brown. Both sprout well, but matki sprouts taste nuttier and firmer. In North India it’s called moth, while Marathi speakers call it matki.

Spotting yellow daals

Four yellow daals line the shelves side by side. Start with size, chana daal and matar daal are the biggest, about five to seven millimetres across; arhar is a bit smaller. Look at shape: chana daal is irregular and chunky, while matar daal is a neat half-sphere. Colour helps, chana daal is a deep even gold, arhar a glossy gold, and dhuli masoor a pink-orange that turns yellow when cooked. Finally, a snap test: raw chana daal is very hard, while matar daal breaks into a floury powder when pressed.

How it was used

Traditionally, Indian homes rank daals by how ‘heavy’ they feel. Dhuli moong is the lightest, often given to the sick and to babies. Mash and chana are the heaviest, cooked with extra ghee, hing, ginger and garlic, and usually served at lunch rather than late at night. Unani texts describe masoor and mash as having different temperaments, while Ayurveda calls moong the most balanced pulse. These are cultural guidelines, not lab-tested facts.

Choosing sabut, chilka, dhuli

All three are the same pulse; the skin makes the difference. Protein stays roughly the same because it lives inside the seed. Sabut keeps the most fibre and a few extra minerals, but needs soaking and cooks slowest. Chilka offers a compromise, some fibre, quicker cooking, often no soak needed for moong and urad. Dhuli is the quickest and easiest on the stomach, making it ideal for babies, the elderly or anyone recovering from illness.

Worth knowing first

If you have kidney disease, high uric acid or gout, the amount of dal you eat should be guided by your doctor or dietitian. Raw or undercooked rajma and lobia can cause severe vomiting, so always boil them hard for at least ten minutes before slow cooking. Whole chana, whole moong and similar whole pulses are a choking risk for children under five; cook them soft and mash. Anyone with a known legume allergy should avoid the offending pulse.

Explore more

For the full details, head over to thecareonline.com, and remember, this is general information, not medical advice.