Urad Dal (Black Gram)
Urad is the rich, creamy dal — whole black urad slow-cooked into dal makhani, and skinned white urad ground for idli, dosa and vada batter.
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Urad Dal in Indian languages
| Language | Name | Pronounced |
|---|---|---|
| English | Black gram | black gram |
| Hindi | उड़द | Urad |
| Tamil | உளுந்து | Ulundu |
| Telugu | మినుములు | Minumulu |
| Kannada | ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ | Uddina bele |
| Malayalam | ഉഴുന്ന് | Uzhunnu |
| Marathi | उडीद | Udid |
| Bengali | মাষকলাই / বিউলি ডাল | Maashkalai |
| Gujarati | અડદ | Adad |
| Punjabi | ਮਾਂਹ / ਉੜਦ | Maanh / Urad |
How to cook it
- Soak
- Sabut: overnight. Dhuli (for batter): 4–6 hours
- Pressure cooker
- Sabut 5–6 whistles (typical)
- Water ratio
- 1 cup dal : 3 cups water
- Stovetop
- Whole urad simmers 1–2 hours for that creamy dal makhani body
For idli/dosa, grind soaked dhuli urad to a fluffy batter and ferment 6–8 hours.
Nutrition per 100 g
| sugar | 1 g |
|---|---|
| energy | 345 Kcal |
| protein | 25 g |
| carbohydrate | 60 g |
Indicative values for the dry pulse; cooking changes them.
Storage
Airtight, cool and dry; use within 6–8 months.
Cook it tonight
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TraditionalDal MakhaniCreamy urad dal and rajma slow-cooked with butter.Prep 8 hours soaking · Cook 2 hours · Serves 6Common questions
- What is urad dal in English?
- Black gram. Whole it is black-skinned; skinned and split (dhuli) it is creamy white.
- Which urad is used for dosa batter?
- Skinned white urad (urad dhuli), soaked and ground with rice.
- Why is my dal makhani not creamy?
- Whole urad needs long, slow simmering — give it 1–2 hours after pressure cooking and finish with butter or cream.