Urad Dal
Also known as: black gram, urad, maash
What Urad Dal is
Both faces of black gram in one bag: the split white grain that ferments with rice into idli and dosa batter, and the whole black bean behind the slow, creamy dal makhani. In Nepal the same dal is maash ko dal, a ghee-finished everyday partner to rice.
Black gram (Vigna mungo) — a small bean with a black skin and white interior, sold whole with skin (sabut urad), split and washed (the chalk-white grain in clear bags), or whole and washed. It is stickier when cooked than any other common dal; that mucilage is what lets vada batter hold its shape in hot oil and gives fermented batters their binding strength.
Taste and texture
Deeper and more savoury than toor or moong, faintly musky. Whole, it cooks to a heavy, sticky-creamy pot that drinks butter and cream; split and fermented, its flavour turns tangy and light. The skinned white grain is noticeably cleaner-tasting than the black-skinned forms.
Forms to buy
- Split, washed (white) — For idli and dosa batter, vada and quick everyday dals.
- Whole black (sabut urad) — For dal makhani and slow Punjabi dals; soak 6–8 hours.
- Whole, washed — Skinless whole beans used in some temple-style dals and sweets.
How to cook it
For idli or dosa, soak split urad 4–6 hours, grind with 3–4 parts soaked rice or idli rava to a smooth batter, and ferment overnight in a warm spot until it smells sour and has visibly risen. For dal makhani, soak whole black urad 6–8 hours, pressure-cook until completely soft, then simmer an hour more with tomato, butter and cream. Nepali maash dal is quicker: cook the split dal soft and finish with a ghee tempering of cumin and turmeric.
Buying note
Typically ¥600–¥900 per kilogram. Split white urad should be chalky-white, not yellowing; whole black beans should be glossy, not faded grey. Batter-quality dal is the same bag as dal-quality — freshness matters more than any special 'idli' grade.