A Guide to Pakistani Daals: Masoor, Moong, Mash, Chana and More

In a Pakistani shop, the daal shelf can be confusing: a dozen bags of small yellow, orange, white and brown lentils, many with more than one name. They’re not interchangeable. Each one cooks differently, tastes different and suits a different dish. Here’s how to tell them apart and get the best from each.

Split or whole?

Most daals are sold in two forms. Whole lentils still have their skin and hold their shape. Split lentils (dhuli if the skin is removed too) cook faster and break down into a creamy daal. Everyday Pakistani daal is usually made with split, skinned lentils.

Masoor (red lentils)

Small, salmon-coloured split lentils that turn yellow when cooked. Masoor is the quickest daal, ready in 20–25 minutes with no soaking, and it breaks down into a smooth, creamy daal. It’s the weeknight daal in many Pakistani homes. Whole masoor, with its brown skin, takes longer and holds its shape. Try our masoor daal with tarka.

Moong (yellow mung beans)

Pale yellow when split and skinned. Moong is the lightest and easiest to digest, which is why it’s cooked for children and anyone recovering from illness, and why it’s the daal in khichdi. It cooks in 25–30 minutes, with an optional short soak. Whole green moong is used for sprouts and dry daals. See our moong daal.

Mash (white urad)

Creamy white when split and skinned. Mash holds its shape and has a slightly gelatinous, rich texture. In Pakistan it’s usually cooked dry, Lahori dhaba style, with just enough water to cook through, then finished with ginger, green chilies and a generous tarka. Soak it for about an hour; it takes 35–40 minutes. Our daal mash is cooked this way.

Chana daal (split chickpeas)

Large, yellow, split pieces of a small chickpea. Chana daal stays firm and nutty and needs a 30–60 minute soak and 45–60 minutes of cooking. It’s often cooked with vegetables, as in lauki chana daal, and it’s the base of shami kebab and bun kebab patties. Ground into flour, it becomes besan.

Arhar or toor

Yellow split pigeon peas, more common in Karachi and southern cooking. Arhar makes a thin, flavourful daal and is one of the five lentils in mixed daal.

Whole beans: rajma and lobia

Rajma (red kidney beans, also called lal lobia) and lobia (black-eyed beans) are cooked as thick salans rather than daal. Both need soaking overnight and 1–1½ hours of cooking, or about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Raw kidney beans contain a natural toxin that’s destroyed by proper boiling, so rajma must be boiled hard for at least 10 minutes before you reduce the heat. Never cook them from raw in a slow cooker.

At a glance

Daal	Soak	Cooking time	Texture	Best for
Masoor	No	20–25 min	Creamy, smooth	Weeknight daal chawal
Moong	15 min, optional	25–30 min	Light, soft	Khichdi, sick days
Mash	1 hour	35–40 min	Rich, holds shape	Dry dhaba daal
Chana daal	30–60 min	45–60 min	Firm, nutty	With lauki, kebabs
Arhar	30 min	30–40 min	Thin, flavourful	Mixed daal
Rajma, lobia	Overnight	1–1½ hours	Whole beans	Salan with rice

Tips for any daal

• Wash well. Rinse lentils in several changes of water until it runs almost clear, rubbing them gently. Pick out any small stones first.
• Skim the foam that rises when the daal first boils.
• Salt timing. Salt can be added at the start for split lentils. For whole beans, some cooks add it later, though modern testing suggests this makes little difference.
• Old lentils take longer. If your daal won’t soften, it’s probably old stock. Add hot water and keep going.
• Daal thickens as it cools. Leave it looser than you want it.
• Finish with a tarka. It’s what turns boiled lentils into daal.

Most families have a favourite daal and cook it every week, but it’s worth rotating through them: each one brings a different texture and flavour to the table.