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    Home » Cooking 101

    Indian Pulses - A quick guide to lentils, beans and peas

    Published: Mar 9, 2017 · Modified: May 24, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 43 Comments

    2820 shares

    Pulses. A fancy word to describe the ever-so-delicious and protein-packed chickpeas, lentils, and dry peas. I am truly fascinated by the different types available and love picking up a new variety every time I go for my Indian groceries. My pantry now contains over 20 different varieties!

    Indian Pulses - Lentils and Beans

    My love for the versatile pulses has increased over the last 15 years. The possibilities are endless and the different dishes are healthy and filling.

    When I first started cooking I found it very difficult to differentiate between some of the yellow lentils. And there were also common lentils, like red lentils, that I had no idea how to use other than in my lentil rangoli.

    What are pulses or Lentils/Beans?

    Before I dive into some of my favorite pulses and the common recipes I use them for, here is my brief understanding of various pulses.

    • Pulses are part of the legume family, but the term “pulse” refers only to the dried seed. They are dried legumes that grow in a pod of one to twelve seeds.
    • Includes beans, lentils, peas, and other little seeds referred to as lentils or beans.
    • Dal is often translated as “lentils” but actually refers to a split version of a number of lentils, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, and so on. If a pulse is split into half, it is daal. For example, split Mung beans are Mung daal.
    • Indian pulses are usually available in three types: the whole pulse, the split pulse with the skin on, and the split pulse with the skin removed.

    When babies are ready to eat solid foods they usually will start with khichadi which is made with rice and a combination of lentils cooked very soft. When I started making this for my first son Aum, it was the easiest and most healthy food I could offer. I would pressure cook some rice with lentils, spinach or carrots, a little bit of turmeric, salt, and ghee and he would eat away! Khichdi is still one of our family favorites though now I make it much more flavorful by adding spices, ginger, garlic, and cumin, and the lentils that go in vary.

    My weekly meal preparation usually involves soaking some whole beans like green gram or red lentils and then sprouting them. Sprouts can be refrigerated for 8-10 days and can be used in curries, rice dishes, salads, or to snack on. I also use lentils to make my favorite south Indian foods like Idli, Vada, Sambar, Rassam, and many different varieties of dosas. Check out lots of delicious recipes using lentils and beans in my The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.

    Here are some of my favorite Indian pulses and a quick guide to their names in English and Hindi:

    Green Gram Beans, Spilt Green Gram and split and skinned green gram {Mung or Moong}

    The tiny green gram beans are super tasty. Whole beans can be sprouted and then used in curries, soups, or salads. Raw sprouted mung beans taste delicious as a snack. They also come in a split variety with and without skin on. These split lentils can be used in making healthy daal and rice dishes.

    green gram beans, spilt green gram and split and skinned green gram{mung}
    green gram beans, spilt green gram and split and skinned green gram{mung}

    Black Eyed Beans {Chawli or Lobia}

    These beans can be soaked and then cooked into delicious curries. These are our favorite beans for a weeknight curry. Soak them 5-6 hours before cooking or use your Instant Pot to cook them in under half an hour.

    pulses - black eyed beans
    black eyed beans{chawli}

    Red Lentils and Split Red Lentils {masoor} 

    Most common lentils are easily available in many grocery stores. Similar to the mung beans the whole red lentils can be sprouted and then used in curries, soups, rice dishes, and breakfast bowls. You can sauté them with some salt and pepper for a protein-packed breakfast or snack. The best part about the whole masoor is that they are easily available in regular grocery stores and make for hearty brown lentil curry.

    Split red lentils cook very fast and make delicious yellow dal. I love using them in my spinach dal recipe too as they cook much faster and are also lighter on the tummy. Red lentils are also perfect for making Dal Chilla - gluten-free and vegan flatbreats for breakfast or to serve with curries.

    pulses - lentils
    Red Lentils and Split red lentils{masoor}

    Yellow Pigeon Peas {Toor or Toovar Daal}

    I am pretty sure these come as whole beans too but I only buy these split and skinned. In Maharashtra, where I grew up Toor Daal is used to make the everyday dal. My favorite version of this is the spinach dal, made with lots of garlic, spinach, and tomatoes! The South Indian Bisi Bele Bhath using Toor daal in Instant Pot comes out super authentic and tasty.

    pulses - yellow pigeon peas
    yellow pigeon peas{toor daal}

    Adzuki Beans {Chori}

    I never ate these small red beans while in India, but came across them here in the US while shopping for my Indian groceries. I soak these and make them into a curry with sautéed onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. These are super flavorful and packed with nutrition like all of the others.

    spices - adzuki beans
    adzuki beans{chori}

    Turkish/Dew Gram Beans {Matki or Moth Beans}

    These are my most favorite beans to make the traditional Matkichi Usal,  which is a spicy and delicious curry made with sprouted Turkish gram. They have a nutty flavor with an earthy aroma. These also come in the split and de-skinned form but I haven't tried them yet. Do try out my recipe for Misal pav using sprouted maki. 

    pulses - turkish gram beans
    turkish/dew gram beans{matki}

    Red Kidney Beans {Rajma}  

    These are probably the most popular and common beans after the chickpeas and can be found in most grocery stores. These come canned and ready to use but I prefer buying the dry beans and soaking and then pressure cooking them similar to the other beans. These make amazing north Indian curries, daal and can be used in salads.

    pulses - kidney beans
    kidney beans{rajma}

    White and Green Peas {Vatana}

    The dried white peas look very similar to chickpeas, except they are smaller and round. They are used in making the famous Ragda-Patties. Both white and green peas can be soaked and then pressure cooked to make delicious curries and soups. In India, people used dried green peas when fresh peas were not available.

    pulses - peas
    white and green peas{vatana}

    Split Bengal Gram {Chana Daal}

    These like the yellow pigeon peas I always buy as split and de-skinned. Though lentils make delicious daals and other dishes, my favorite way to use them is in making authentic Puran Poli.

    pulses - chana daal
    split bengal gram{chana daal}

    Black Gram Beans, split black gram and split and skinned black gram {Urad}  

    These are the small black beans similar in size to the mung beans. They have a very earthy flavor and when cooked come out a little sticky, which makes them a perfect lentil for making the popular and flavorful Dal Makhani! These lentils are widely used in India for making papadums. It is one of the main lentils used in South Indian cooking make Idli and Dosa. My favorite dish using road dal are the No-fry Dahivada's or Dahi Bhalla!

    pulses - urad
    black gram beans, split black gram and split and skinned black gram{urad}

    English & Hindi names for common lentils & Beans

    English Names Hindi Names
    green gram beansmung/moong
    spilt green gramchilkewali mung daal
    Split and skinned green gram mung daal
    black eyed beans chawli / lobia
    red lentils masoor
    split red lentils masoor daal
    yellow pigeon peas toor daal
    adzuki beans chori
    turkish/dew gram moth
    kidney beans rajma
    green peas hari matar
    white peassafed matar
    split bengal gramchana daal
    split black gram chilkewali urad daal
    black gram beans urad
    split and skinned black gram urad daal

    Check out this collection of easy, healthy, and delicious Indian Lentil and Bean recipes using Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

    Did you enjoy reading about all the different lentils and beans used in Indian cooking? Here are some other cooking basics you may find interesting:

    • Homemade Ghee
    • Indian Spice Box
    • EASY 5-ingredient Garam Masala
    • Mom's Garam Masala - heirloom recipe
    • How to make homemade Paneer Cheese
    • Sprouting Beans

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Medha Rajamanur says

      March 09, 2017 at 11:06 pm

      Quite a study I can do here ;). Thanks for compiling this.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 10, 2017 at 10:46 am

        Thank you Medha! I am glad you enjoyed studying this guide 🙂

        Reply
        • Shubhangi says

          October 06, 2019 at 9:24 am

          You should include Vsal and Surti Vaal

          Reply
          • Archana says

            October 11, 2019 at 8:54 am

            Great idea! I will!

            Reply
        • aschwinnie mahajan says

          November 10, 2019 at 2:14 am

          with all respect, you missed Black Grams/kala chana, White Chick Peas/Safed Chana, Horse Grams/Kulth and Black Beans (besides their Black color they are similar to Adzuki beans)

          Reply
          • Archana says

            November 10, 2019 at 12:43 pm

            Will add these. I usually do not have these in my pantry but I know they are popular in Indian cooking.

            Reply
      • Leena says

        January 15, 2021 at 9:02 pm

        Well done website, detail information .
        Thank you

        Reply
    2. Ruth | Always Add Cinnamon says

      April 03, 2017 at 3:06 pm

      Such a great guide! I love lentils and beans so much (I've just had kidney bean curry for dinner!) and batch cook them so I always have some in the freezer ready for a quick meal. Thank you for sharing your passion!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 03, 2017 at 9:48 pm

        Thank you Ruth! We love lentils and beans too.

        Reply
        • devi says

          May 09, 2018 at 10:33 pm

          can we make idli as well?

          Reply
          • Archana says

            May 11, 2018 at 1:26 pm

            Yes usually rice and urad daal is used for making idlis

            Reply
    3. gardeneva says

      July 03, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Are white peas (safed matar), the same as chick peas / garbanzo beans?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 03, 2017 at 4:53 pm

        They are look a but similar but taste different.

        Reply
        • gardeneva says

          July 03, 2017 at 7:43 pm

          Thank you Archana

          Reply
          • Archana says

            July 03, 2017 at 9:00 pm

            You are most welcome!

            Reply
    4. yuricksl (Sue Yurick) says

      July 12, 2017 at 11:12 am

      I am going to see if I have any lentils to sprout! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 12, 2017 at 3:46 pm

        Hi Sue! Sure. Let me know.

        Reply
    5. Kiran Fernandes says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:52 am

      Hey do you know where I can get Lima beans? They're not available in Mapusa market. I need those beans for cooking and I don't seem to find the real name of these beans.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 23, 2017 at 2:36 pm

        Did you try frozen section or canned
        of local grocery stores?

        Reply
    6. Desmond Johnson says

      April 02, 2018 at 1:41 pm

      What wonderful detail and I'm learning tons! Thanks so much for the website

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 02, 2018 at 1:47 pm

        You are welcome! So glad you enjoyed reading it

        Reply
    7. Vins says

      September 16, 2018 at 4:04 am

      I am searching for the black Chipotle beans...not sure what they call them here in India (Hindi or Marathi names will help)

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 17, 2018 at 7:50 pm

        Hi, The black beans itself are called black turtle beans in India. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    8. Sumita says

      October 31, 2018 at 5:27 am

      What a detailed and wonderful explanation of dals and legumes. Loved reading and going through the recipes.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 31, 2018 at 2:48 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Poonam says

      December 13, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Thanks a ton for the information you provided. I usually have 9-10 lentils always in stock in my kitchen. I will try all the lentils you mentioned.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 13, 2018 at 7:13 pm

        Awesome!!

        Reply
      • M. KAHN says

        December 03, 2019 at 5:12 pm

        Thank you so much! It makes it much easier for me to shop without my Indian friends! I don't like being a bother always getting translations! 🙂

        Reply
    10. SANTHI ARJUNAN says

      January 29, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Hi Archana,
      Nice article. we use split val dal, split Adzuki beans and horsegram too.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2019 at 12:14 pm

        Yes! I will add more to the future revisions

        Reply
    11. Ruth Harvey says

      January 29, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      One thing is missing here - in future revisions please can you include whole chana as well - isn't that the same pea as Bengal gram? also known Garbanzo beans and Chick peas? This would be really useful info.
      This guide for pulses is terrific. Thank you so much! Pulses are sooo nutritious and a food source it would benefit us all to eat a lot more of.
      I live in Fiji and I share with others here especially Americans to help find the beans/peas they want in the local market. And encourage to experiment with more.

      And your website is fantastic! I've shared many of your recipes with my daughters who now live in the US. And with cousins and siblings and those who recently got instapots. Wonderful work here, and your cookbook. Thanks and please keep going!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 30, 2019 at 12:13 pm

        I agree! Several are missing. This really was al that I had when I took the photo 2 years back!

        Reply
    12. Nisshani Perera says

      May 22, 2019 at 5:47 pm

      I Loved this 101 on pulses- and beans - I just purchased your slow cooker cookbook which I loved as well - so easy to follow, uncomplicated and lovely recipes

      Reply
    13. Olinda says

      November 09, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      What is the Hindi name for Broad beans / Fava. I can't seem to find these in India.....what is the closest tasting beans to Fava.
      What is the English name for Pauta beans

      thanks

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 10, 2019 at 12:47 pm

        I belive Fava beans are similar to "Val" or "ValPapdi". Pauta beans are called Lima beans in English.

        Reply
    14. Cliff says

      May 13, 2020 at 4:15 am

      That is a great guide, thanks.

      Reply
    15. Nandeesh says

      May 23, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      this page is a lifesaver!

      Reply
    16. Mohammed Zuber says

      June 10, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      Thanks for the article ARchana I enjoyed reading it... Good... In terms of tatse how would u rate...

      Reply
    17. Aqua says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      You didnt explain their textures when cooked. Or cooking characteristics at all.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 23, 2020 at 9:35 pm

        Good point! I will try to add that

        Reply
    18. SG says

      September 02, 2020 at 2:14 am

      This is soooo useful! I had forgotten altogether that Matki exists. My mom made it while growing up of course, but having left home since university, I haven't had it/made it for 10+ years lol. It's not exactly something that is served at Indian restaurants haha. Thanks for the reminder. I will have to get it next time I visit the Indian grocery store.

      Reply
    19. Ganesan . S says

      October 22, 2020 at 7:38 am

      WOW !! Thanks for the guidance my son has learned so many things from this .

      Reply
    20. Pramod says

      March 28, 2021 at 11:46 am

      Proud of you tai... For giving marathi names in bracket...it was never so easy to understand for me...
      Thank you.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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