Dal (also spelled Dahl or Daal, or Dhal)

Dal (also spelled Dahl or Daal, or Dhal) is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these pulses, an important part of In

dian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, West Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. It is regularly eaten with rice and vegetables in southern India, and with both rice and roti (wheat-based flat bread) throughout northern India and Pakistan.
Dal is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing little or no meat. Sri Lankan cooking of dal resembles that of southern Indian dishes.
In South India, dal is often used to make sambar, a spicy soup of red lentils and vegetables cooked with tamarind, asafoetida and some vegetables. It is eaten with rice and rice dishes. In West India, dals are used to make curries to be eaten with rice.
Dals are also used to make fermented preparations such as idli, dosa, in south and coastal India. In East India, rice is also the main accompaniment. In Sri Lanka, dal is most often consumed in a curry made with coconut milk.
Dal preparations can be eaten with rice, as well as Indian breads in North India. Dal has an exceptional nutritional profile n so is an excellent source of protein.
Toor dal is yellow pigeon peas, is available either plain or oily.
It is the main ingredient for the South Indian recipe called sambar.
Chana dal is produced by removing the outer layer of kala chana (black chickpeas) and then splitting the kernel.
Kala chana are small chickpeas with brown skins.
Kabuli dal, known for its black coat, is an average-sized chickpea.
Mung dal is known as mung bean.
Lobiya dal the black-eyed bean.
Urad dal, sometimes referred to as "black gram", is the main ingredient of the South Indian dishes like idli and dosai.
Masoor dal is red lentils.
Rajma dal is kidney beans.