Guide to Indian Lentils and Pulses

Black gram, red lentils and white field peas each bring a genuinely different texture, cooking time and traditional role to an Indian kitchen, rather than being interchangeable versions of the same basic ingredient.

The pulses at a glance

Black gram, urad, is heavier and earthier, anchoring dal makhani, South Indian batters, sattu and besan.
Red lentils, masoor, are the fastest cooking of the three, ideal for a quick everyday dal or khichdi.
White field peas need the most planning, a genuine overnight soak, but anchor beloved dishes like ghugni and ragda.
Each pulse also comes in whole and processed forms, whole for texture, dal or split for speed, discussed in depth elsewhere in this guide.
A well stocked pantry benefits from at least one of each, since they rarely substitute cleanly for one another.

Picked this week

Indian pulses

Khutmili Farm II · Khutmili

Black Gram Whole

$0.93 · 1 KG

Najirpur Farm II · Najirpur

Red Lentils Broken

$1.25 · 1 KG

Najirpur Farm II · Najirpur

Field Pea White

$1.04 · 1 KG

Our standards

Lentils and pulses guide questions

Which pulse should I buy first if I am starting from scratch?: Split masoor dal, thanks to its fast, forgiving cooking time and broad everyday use.
Which pulse needs the most advance planning?: White field peas, which need a genuine overnight soak before cooking.
Can these three pulses substitute for each other?: Rarely well, each has a distinct texture and cooking time suited to different dishes.
Do all three come in more than one processed form?: Black gram most notably, available whole, split, roasted as sattu, and ground as besan.

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