Toor Dal is the most widely consumed dal in India. It is also used extensively across Asian countries, especially in vegetarian menu. It is one of the many forms of lentils and belongs to the category of legumes (pulses/beans) known for their nutritional value since ages.

Toor Dal is known to be the best plant source of protein, fat and carbohydrates. It is high in dietary fibers and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Its rich contents of iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium and Vitamin B help meet vitamin and mineral requirements.

Call it arhar dal, pigeon peas, yellow lentil, or yellow split peas, this slightly sweet and nutty flavored pulse is available in three forms whole, split oily and split non-oily of which split (oily and non-oily) pulse without husk takes the form of dal.

Oily Toor Dal is treated with edible oil to increase the shelf life of dal and make it suitable for those who prefer bulk buying and store. It doesn’t involve use of any chemical preservatives so that the natural goodness of the dal is retained.

Non Oily Toor Dal is usually suitable for consumers who do not buy in bulk but prefer to make purchase at regular intervals.

Compared to other pulses, toor dal requires more soaking time, takes longer to cook and has thick gelatinous/meaty consistency. Of various recipes made out of toor dal, one made into soup as a dal or sambhar is a part of Indian staple. It can also be used with lemon and vinaigrette to make salads and as many other recipes as one could explore. Check out different toor dal recipes here.