Types of lentils used in lentil recipes

Lentil soups - Lentil Curry - Lentil salads

The variety in the types of lentils gives a wide choice to the vegetarians. Lentils are a very important part of healthy vegetarian diet food.

Lentil nutrition includes the much required proteins for the vegetarians along with other nutrients. Pulses, beans, dals, legumes are part of the lentil family.

Lentils are available with or without husks. Lentils are also available whole as well as split. Use them according to your choice.

Types of whole lentils - pulses

Both whole as well as split are quick cooking and nutrition filled but the whole lentils with their husks (skins, covers) are more nutritious. So use whole lentils whenever possible.

Types of split lentils - pulses

Whole and split moong and masoor

About whole lentils and split lentils

The split lentil is the lentil where the lentil is split in half. It may be with the husk or without the husk.

The split lentil is referred to as dal, daal or dhal in Indian languages.

Whole lentils take a little longer to cook than the split lentils because they have husks. But they are more nutritious and if you are using pressure cooker to cook them, they cook very quickly.

Lentil curry can be made with whole as well as split lentils.

Split lentils are quick cooking so are used a lot in lentil soup recipes. They are used to thicken any kind of soups too.

Both whole as well as split lentils are used in lentil salad recipes.

Below you will find the whole lentil as well as split lentil types with their English and Indian names. All these types of lentils are commonly used world over.

The types of whole lentils

English Name - Indian Name

Whole mung bean - Green lentil

Whole Green lentils - Moong bean, or Mung bean or Green Gram

Mung Bean Curry - Green Lentil curry to serve with rice /roti/ bread.

Mung Beans Rice Dish - Khichadi - Quick One Dish Meal.

Whole white chickpeas - Kabuli chana - Garbanzo beans

Whole White Chickpea - garbanzo beans - Kabuli Chana

Chickpea recipes - read more about chickpeas.

Fried Chickpeas

Kabuli chana sundal - Gugri

Brown chana - chickpeas

Brown chickpea - Chana - Bengal gram

Green chana - chickpeas

Green chick pea - hara chana

Red Kidney beans - Rajma

Whole Kidney bean - Rajma

Whole Black gram - Black Lentils - Urad bean with skin

Whole black lentil - Black gram - Urad bean

Whole red lentil - masoor - masur

Whole red lentil - masoor - masur

Black eyed bean - Cow pea - Lobia - Chowli

Cow pea, black eyed pea or bean - Lobia or chowli / chavli

Fresh Pigeon pea, toor, toovar, arahar

Fresh Pigeon pea, Toor, Toovar, Arahar

whole pigeon peas - toor - arhar

Pigeon pea, Yellow lentils - Toor, Toovar, Arahar dal

So the Indian Dal which you get in restaurants is made with a variety of whole or split lentil.It may be referred to as tadka dal or dal fry

The dals are referred according to the variety of lentil that is split.

The types of split lentils - dals

The Indian word dal (daal - dahl - dhal) reefers to the split lentil variety.

English Name - Indian Name

Split red lentil - masoor dal

Split red lentil - masoor dal

Dal recipe

Deskinned - split green lentil - moong dal, mung dal, green gram dal

Split green lentil- moong dal, mung dal, green gram dal

Split chickpeas - chana dal, bengal gram dal

Split chickpeas - chana dal, bengal gram dal

Split roasted chickpeas - Puthane -

Split Roasted chickpeas - bhuna chana - puthane - hurigadale - pottu kadale

Split yellow lentil - Pigeon pea - Toovar dal - Arhar dal

Split yellow lentil - pigeon pea - toovar dal, toor dal, tur dal, arahar dal

Rasam - serve as appetizer, thin soup

Sambar - Vegetable/Lentil dish. - Serve with Idli, Plain Rice and Dosa

Split black lentils with skin - Urad dal

Split black lentil with skin - urad dal

Skinned black gram - urad bean

Split and skinned black lentil - urad dal, white lentil

Dahi Vada - A cool snack with urad dal (white lentil) and yogurt.

If you are wondering how to cook lentils, you will find many Lentil Recipes on this website.

Question: What are lentils known as in India?

Answer : Whole lentils are refered to as 'sabut (साबूत)' in Hindi language. 'Akhkhe (आक्खे)' in Marathi. For split lentils the word Dal/dahl(दाल)in Hindi. In Marathi split lentils are known as Daal (डाळ).

For split and husked or skinned lentils, the word 'Dhuli dal' is used in Hindi.

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