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

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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 can’t resist picking up a new bag every time I go shopping. My pantry
now contains over 20 different varieties!

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

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 grows in a pod of one to twelve seeds. They includes beans, lentils, peas and other little seeds referred to
as lentils or beans. Daal 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 a 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 to 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 refrigerate for 8-10 days and can be used in curries, rice dishes, salads or can be
snacked on! I also use lentils to make my favorite south Indian foods like Idli, vada, sambar and many different varieties
of dosas. I can’t wait to share recipes of all of these delicious foods!

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}

Green Gram Beans,  Spilt Green Gram and split and skinned green gram{Mung} – The tiny green gram beans are super
delicious. Whole beans can be sprouted and then used in curries, soups or salads. Raw sprouted mung beans taste
amazing as a snack. They also come in split version with and without skin on. These split lentils can be used in making
healthy daal and rice dishes.

black eyed beans{chawli}

Black Eyed Beans{chawli} – These beans can be soaked and then cooked into delicious curries. These are our favorite
beans for a weeknight curry. Only trick is to soak them 5-6 hours before cooking.
Red Lentils and Split red lentils{masoor}

Red Lentils and Split Red Lentils{masoor} – These are probably the most common lentils and can be easily found in
most 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. Split red lentils cook very fast and makes delicious daal.

yellow pigeon peas{toor daal}

Yellow Pigeon Peas{Toor Daal} – I am pretty sure these come as whole beans too but I only buy these split and skinned.
These are used make the most traditional everyday daal in Maharashtra. My favorite version of these are 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.

adzuki beans{chori}

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.
turkish/dew gram beans{matki}

Turkish/Dew Gram Beans{Matki} – These are my most favorite beans to make the traditional matkichi usal,  which is a
aromatic and super delicious curry made with sprouted turkish gram. They have nutty flavor with earthy smell. These
also come in the split and de-skinned form but I haven’t tried them yet.

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kidney beans{rajma}
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.

white and green peas{vatana}

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-pattice. Both white and green peas can be soaked and then pressure
cooked to make delicious curries and soups. In India, people used the dried green peas when fresh peas were not
available.
split bengal gram{chana daal}

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 are in making the authentic puran poli’s.

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

Black Gram Beans, split black gram and split and skinned black gram{Urad} – These are the small black beans similar
in size as of the mung beans. They have a very earthy flavor and when cooked comes out a little sticky, which makes
them a perfect lentil for making the popular and flavorful daal makhani! This lentil is used widely in India for making
papadums. This is one of the main lentil used in south indian dishes like idli’s and dosas. My favorite dish is the
dumplings dunked in lush yogurt sauce – no-fry dahivada’s!

           English Names                                                      Hindi Names

green gram mung

spilt green gram mung daal with skin

split and skinned green gram mung daal

black eyed beans chawli

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 peas safed matar

split bengal gram chana daal

split black gram urad daal with skin

black gram beans urad

split and skinned black gram urad daal

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Medha Rajamanur on March 9, 2017 at 11:06 pm

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

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Archana on March 10, 2017 at 10:46 am

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

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Ruth | Always Add Cinnamon on April 3, 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!

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Archana on April 3, 2017 at 9:48 pm

Thank you Ruth! We love lentils and beans too.

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gardeneva on July 3, 2017 at 3:01 pm

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

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Archana on July 3, 2017 at 4:53 pm

They are look a but similar but taste different.

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gardeneva on July 3, 2017 at 7:43 pm

Thank you Archana

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Archana on July 3, 2017 at 9:00 pm

You are most welcome!

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yuricksl (Sue Yurick) on July 12, 2017 at 11:12 am

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

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Archana on July 12, 2017 at 3:46 pm

Hi Sue! Sure. Let me know.

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Kiran Fernandes on 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.

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Archana on December 23, 2017 at 2:36 pm

Did you try frozen section or canned

of local grocery stores?

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Archana

Hi, I'm Archana! I'm a techie by trade but chef by heart. Welcome to my world of home cooking, crafts and most importantly,
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