Najirpur Farm II · Najirpur
Red Lentils Whole
$0.99 · 1 KG
True Grit
True Grit Kitchen · 2 min read
Whole Masoor vs Split Masoor Dal
Skin on or off changes colour, cooking time and which curry each form actually suits.
Whole and split masoor are the same pulse at two different processing stages, and the difference between them is more visible than with many pulses, since dehusking changes the colour dramatically.
What actually differs
- Whole masoor keeps its brownish green skin, holds its shape well, and takes a little longer to cook.
- Split masoor dal is dehusked and split, revealing an orange red interior, and cooks quickly into a smooth dal.
- Whole masoor suits a curry where you want the lentil to hold together. Split masoor suits a quick, everyday dal.
- Split masoor dal is the more commonly stocked form in most kitchens, simply for its speed and convenience.
- Both come from the same crop, so neither is a lesser or better version of the other, just suited to different dishes.
[One cook who keeps both whole and split red lentils on hand found the actual cooking time difference smaller than expected](/community/dsc_truegrit_014), worth a read before assuming whole always means a much longer wait.
Our standards
Whole vs split masoor questions
- Which masoor cooks faster?
- Split masoor dal, since dehusking and splitting expose more surface area to water, speeding up cooking noticeably.
- Does whole masoor need soaking?
- It benefits from a short soak more than split masoor does, though it still cooks faster than many other whole pulses.
- Can I use whole masoor where a recipe calls for split?
- You can, but expect a longer cooking time and a more textured result rather than a smooth dal.
- Why is split masoor more commonly sold?
- Mainly convenience, its fast, predictable cooking time suits everyday dal making better for most households.
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