Pulses #5140859

Vigna mungo, black gram, urad bean, mungo bean or black matpe bean (Sanskrit: , ma) is a bean grown in the Indian subcontinent. At one time it was considered to belong to the same species as the mung bean. The product sold as black lentil is usually the whole urad bean, whereas the split bean (the interior being white) is called white lentil. It should not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil (Lens culinaris). Black gram originated in India, where it has been in cultivation from ancient times and is one of the most highly prized pulses of India and Pakistan. It is very widely used in the Punjabi Cuisine and is often referred to as "maa di daal" in the native language by Punjabis. The Coastal Andhra region in Andhra Pradesh is famous for black gram after paddy. The Guntur District ranks first in Andhra Pradesh for the production of black gram. Black gram has also been introduced to other tropical areas such as the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, and Africa mainly by Indian immigrants.

Urad Dal lentil-like beans have black skins covering creamy white interiors. Whole urad dal derive their strong, earthy flavor from the black skins and are often used in curries. Split urad dal retain the skins and also have a strong flavor. Skinned and split urad dal are creamy white and somewhat bland.

Moong or Green gram is a small -inch, round, olive-green bean that is mustard or off-white coloured inside. The beans have a sweet flavour, soft texture and are easy to digest. Green gram is available in many forms including whole, split, de-husked (yellow) and ground. Split Moong beans or green Moong Dal is Green gram that has been split but not skinned. Since the husk is not removed completely, the green colour is retained. The splitting is done in a mill. Green Moong dal a traditional ingredient in Indian cooking, often used in curries. Like other legumes, split green gram is low in fat and high in protein and fibre, but it has the added advantage of cooking quickly. Due to its mild, earthy flavour, green Moong dal is best cooked with assertive flavourings. Grading at the terminal marketGrading of Green Moong bean is mostly applied at the terminal market rather than at the rural market. The major criteria of quality or grade factor are;- moisture content, size, quality, appearance and colour of the seeds, damaged and fungal seeds, In general, there are 5 grade classifications for numgbean as follows Grade 1 characteristics: good green shining colour, 14% moisture content, the size of seeds are unequal (small and large seeds mixed together) Grade 2 characteristics: good green shining colour, 14% moisture content, the size of seeds are unequal (small and large seeds mixed together) Grade 3 Characteristics: fair green shining colour, 14% moisture content, the size of seeds are unequal (small and unequal, mixed with damaged seeds.) Grade 4 characteristics: poor green shining colour and misshapen, more than 14% moisture content, the size of seeds are unequal, mixed with damaged seeds Grade 5 characteristics: worst green shining colour and misshapen, more than 14% moisture content, the size of seeds are unequal, mixed with damaged seeds

Chana Dal are brown chickpeas that have been split and skinnedpolished. They have the same earthy nutty flavor profile as brown chickpeas(which are also called bengal gram, Kala chana in Hindi). Chana Dal beans look like split peas, but they are textured and not smooth on the outer side. Chana dal is often used in Northern Indian dals and used in southern Indian cooking in tempering, chutneys and sauces.

Yellow moong dal refers to moong beans that have been skinned and split, so that they're flat, yellow, and quick-cooking. They're relatively easy to digest. They can be made into moong bean paste by de-hulling, cooking, and pulverizing the beans to the consistency of a dry paste. The paste is sweetened and is similar in texture to red bean paste though the smell is slightly more bean-like. In several Asian countries, de-hulled moong beans and moong bean paste are made into ice creams or frozen ice pops and are very popular dessert items. In India, moong dal is very commonly used in a variety of dishes ranging from dal and khichdi to kheer and halwa.