Toor Dal

Toor dal is the split, hulled seed of the pigeon pea, typically golden yellow. It cooks to a creamy, earthy mash with a mild, nutty flavor and a gentle buttery aroma; common uses include everyday dal, sambar, khichdi, and ground batters, and it is sold polished or unpolished.

Domesticated in the Indian subcontinent, it spread through trade to East Africa and the Caribbean and remains a staple pulse in South Asian cuisines. Farmers harvest, dry, and mill pigeon peas to remove the hull and split the cotyledons for faster cooking.