This is the comprehensive guide to urad dal. Learn about the different varieties of urad dal from urad gota to urad flour and how they are used in Indian cooking.
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What is it?
Urad dal is a type of dal or lentil used in Indian cooking. "Urad dal" is the Hindi phrase for a black lentil that is also known as ulundu paruppu in Tamil and black gram or matpe beans in English. This lentil is very versatile and is used to add texture to dishes like dal makhani and is soaked and ground into fermented batters like dosa! However, if you want a how-to on making dal, the dish, check out this blog post which covers various ways of cooking dal (pressure cooker vs. stovetop) and common mistakes and solutions so that you can make your perfect dal.
Different variations of urad dal
In general, most dals including urad dal come in variations such as whole vs. split and hulled vs. not hulled (meaning skin removed or on). You can learn more about how this applies to other dals in the ultimate guide to Indian dals. However, for urad dal, the main varieties are black urad dal, urad gota, split urad dal (hulled & unhulled), and urad dal flour. Below, we will go over the different varieties in detail and explain how each one has a different purpose in Indian cooking.
Black urad dal
Definition: Black urad dal is urad dal in its whole form that still has the skin on (it isn't hulled).
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Black urad dal is a thick whole lentil that retains its oval shape and can add texture to dishes it is added to. It often acts similarly to how black beans are used in cooking.
- Black urad dal is used in dishes like dal makhani where the dal is cooked in a creamy sauce and the whole dal has a firm outer texture with a creamy and starchy interior. Black urad dal has enough heft that it can also be cooked and used as filling for a lentil burger.
- Does it need to be soaked? Yes - just like beans, black whole urad dal cooks more evenly when it is soaked before cooked.
Substitutes: Black eyed peas, green whole moong dal, black beans
Urad Gota
Definition: Urad gota is a name for whole urad dal that has its black skin removed.
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Urad gota is used a lot in South Indian cooking. It is the best variety to make dosas, medu vadas, and idlis! Why? The skin of the urad dal prevents the batter from becoming creamy and smooth in these applications, so the urad gota (without skin) is preferred to the black urad dal with the skin on.
- Does it need to be soaked? Yes! It is crucial to soak urad gota for at least 4 hours or overnight in order to grind into smooth batters for dosa/idli/vada.
Substitutes: Chana Dal/Moong Dal - Dosas that use chana dal/moong are called pesaratus. Vadas that use chana dal are also called Masala Vadas.
Urad Dal Split (with/without skin)
Definition: Split urad dal is urad dal that has been processed and cut into flat disks. Split urad dal can be further categorized into dal with the skin on (black) OR it can be split after the skin is removed (white)!
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Split urad dal is used as a crunchy addition in tadkas or temperings in Indian cooking! It is added to hot oil along with other aromatics to add a nutty flavor but also a crunch to many dishes.
- Split urad dal can also be used to make creamy dals. Since it is split, the dal loses its shape when cooked and melts into a creamy and thick dal.
- The split urad dal with the skin will have more texture as well as more nutrients compared to the one without the skin! However, the one without the skin will yield a more creamy and velvety texture.
- Does it need to be soaked? Nope. Definitely do not soak if you are using split urad dal in tadkas. If you are using this in dals, then you can soak, but it is not required since the dal is so thin.
Substitutes: Substitute crunchy peanuts or sesame seeds if using in tadka and substitute masoor/moong dal if using in dal curries.
Urad Dal Flour
Definition: Urad dal flour is flour that is made from urad gota (whole skinless urad dal)
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Urad dal flour is commonly used to make applam, also known as papadum, which is a crunchy dal-based snack. It can also be used in conjunction with rice flour to make idli/dosa batters without the use of a grinder!
Where to buy it?
Urad dal is typically sold in Indian supermarkets but sometimes can be found in Asian supermarkets. It is less commonly found in American grocery stores compared to other lentil varieties like moong dal or masoor dal (red lentils). In addition, it is pretty easy to find urad dal online on Amazon.
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Urad Gota White (Whole, Hulled)
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Buy Now → Frequently Asked Questions
Urad gota or whole white urad dal or whole urad dal with the skin off is best for dosas and idlis. Why? The skin of the urad dal prevents the batter from becoming creamy and smooth in these applications, so the urad gota (without skin) is preferred to the black urad dal with the skin on.
Split urad dal can be fried as a crunchy addition to tadkas or can be used to make creamy dal curries.
Things sold as urad gota refer to whole urad dal that has the skin removed so it appears white. Urad dal is an umbrella term which can refer to urad gota (whole dal without skin) or black urad dal (whole urad dal with skin on) or split urad dal (urad dal that has been cut into flat discs and can be sold with the skin on or off).
Traditionally, sambar is made with moong,masoor, or toor dal. However, if you want to use urad dal, use the split urad dal without the skin, which will yield the same creamy texture that melts into the sambar!
Whole urad dal is round and thick and requires soaking while the split version is a thin disc that doesn't require soaking. The whole urad dal and split versions have really different use cases when it comes to Indian cooking and aren't often interchangeable. Check out use cases of each variation of urad dal above.
This is a high level overview on urad dal! Please leave a comment below letting me know what you thought of this article and if it was helpful to you! I always love hearing your questions and your comments 🙂
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