Urad bean

Vigna mungo

legume

Small black seeds with a white heart from a South Asian legume; ground to a batter they make dosas, idlis, vadas and papadums, and whole, dals. They provide protein, fibre, folate and iron.

Origin

India

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

Whole, they soak overnight then cook for about an hour, into creamy dal (dal makhani); hulled, they soak a few hours then are ground into a batter that ferments for dosas and idlis. Never raw. Soaking, sprouting or sourdough bring its phytates down — and release the zinc and iron they were holding. High in purines: to rotate rather than stack, if the ground is sensitive.

Molecules

Resistant starch RS1 · GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) · Saponins · Folates (B9) · Plant iron · Zinc · Potassium · Protein · Lysine · Phosphorus · Molybdenum · Choline · InositolIn small amounts, not counted Mucilages · Calcium · Copper · Tryptophan · PhytosterolsWhat slows things down Phytates · Purines

Did you know?

What is sold as “black lentils” is often whole urad; stripped of its black coat, it becomes “white lentils”.