Dal (also daal or dhal) is the term in Indian cuisine for lentils, peas, and beans, and for soups and stews prepared from these pulses. These are staple foods in many South Asian cuisines, and are present at almost every meal.
A very large number of regional specialities and variations for dal are found across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Since the word dal signifies both the raw ingredient as well as the finished dish, the term can have many meanings.
Important varieties pulses called dal include:
- Yellow split peas, which are so common they they are referred to as simply "dal" in much of the world; when referred to specifically they are matar dal.
- Pigeon pea, or yellow pigeon peas
- Chana Dal, or garbanzo beans or chickpeas
- Mung dal, or mung beans
- Ural dal, also called "black gram"
- Masoor dal, split red lentils
- Rajma dal, split kidney beans
- Panchratna dal, a mixture of five varieties of dal
- Moth bean
Pulses which are split but not hulled are sometimes distinguished by the addition of "chilka", meaning "skin".
Popular dishes which are include dal include: