Lentils, Pulses & Beans

Udhaiyam Chana Dal (split Bengal gram) is a versatile pulse with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. Used in dal preparations, chutneys, snacks and South Indian tempering, it is a true kitchen essential.

• Split Bengal gram with nutty, sweet flavour
• Ideal for dal, chutney and South Indian tempering
  

Udhaiyam Urid Chilka is split black gram with the skin (chilka) intact, offering a slightly coarser texture and higher fibre content. Used in dals, stuffed parathas and regional preparations across India.

• Split black gram with skin for extra fibre
• Excellent for stuffed parathas and regional dals
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Annam Horse Gram is the small, hard, flat brown pulse known as kollu in Tamil and ulavalu in Telugu, eaten across the southern states. It is much firmer than any lentil, with a dry, earthy taste, and it needs longer cooking than its size suggests.

Best for

• Kollu rasam and horse gram sundal
• Kollu paruppu and thogayal ground with coconut
• Ulava charu and slow-cooked gravies

How to cook it

Soak it for at least eight hours, or overnight, in plenty of water. Drain, then pressure cook one cup with three to four cups of fresh water for eight to ten whistles, as it stays stubborn well past the point most pulses give way. Keep the dark cooking water, which is the base of kollu rasam. Salt only once the grains crush easily.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Green Lentils are whole lentils with the skin left on — dark green-brown, firm, and quite different in behaviour from the split red kind. They keep their shape through cooking instead of collapsing, which makes them as useful in a salad as in a dal.

Best for

• Sabut masoor dal and whole lentil curries
• Lentil soups, stews and salads
• Sprouting

How to cook it

Rinse well and pick over for stones. Soaking is optional but a 30 minute soak cuts the cooking time. Simmer with about 3 parts water to 1 part lentils for 30 to 40 minutes, or pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles, until tender but still whole. Salt at the end — added early it keeps the skins tough.

Pack and storage

500 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Mixed Lentils is a blend of several dals in one pack, for the mixed dal that many households cook when no single lentil is quite what they want. Cooked together the different lentils give a dal with more body than a single-pulse one: some break down and thicken the pot while others stay whole.

Best for

• Mixed dal, panchmel-style
• Dal khichdi
• Thick lentil soups and stews

How to cook it

Rinse several times until the water runs clear and soak for at least an hour, which matters more here than with a single dal because the lentils in the mix cook at different rates and soaking evens them out. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part lentils for four or five whistles, then let the pressure drop by itself. Mash lightly against the side of the pot, adjust the consistency with hot water, and finish with a tempering of cumin, garlic, dried chilli and ghee.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Brown Lentils in the 500g pack are whole masoor, skin on, for a household that cooks them occasionally rather than weekly. The skin is what keeps them intact in the pot, so unlike split red lentils they finish as separate lentils in a broth rather than as a thick purée.

Best for

• Whole masoor dal
• Soups, stews and warm lentil salads
• Khichdi where the grain should stay distinct

How to cook it

Rinse and check for stones. Thirty minutes of soaking helps but is not required. In a pressure cooker, two and a half parts water to one part lentils for three or four whistles; in an open pot, thirty-five to forty minutes at a simmer with the lid ajar. Add salt towards the end rather than at the start, and temper with cumin, garlic and chilli in hot ghee just before serving.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Brown Lentils are whole masoor with the brown skin left on, which is what makes them behave so differently from the split red lentil. They hold their shape through cooking instead of collapsing, so they suit dishes where you want to see and feel the lentil rather than a smooth purée.

Best for

• Whole masoor dal and dhaba-style dal
• Lentil soups, stews and salads
• Khichdi and lentil rice dishes with texture

How to cook it

Rinse well and pick over for stones. Soaking is not essential but thirty minutes shortens the cooking. Pressure cook with about two and a half parts water to one part lentils for three or four whistles, or simmer for thirty-five to forty minutes until tender but still whole. Salt near the end, as salting early keeps the skins firm. Finish with a tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli in ghee.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are premium split red lentils that cook quickly to a smooth, velvety consistency. Used worldwide in soups, stews and traditional Indian dal dishes.

• Quick-cooking split red lentils
• Perfect for dal, soups, stews and curries
  

Udhaiyam White Chickpeas are the pale, round chickpeas known as kabuli chana — larger and milder than the darker kala chana, with a soft, buttery texture once cooked.

Best for

• Chana masala and chole
• Hummus and salads
• Sundal and chaat

How to cook them

Soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours, then drain and rinse. Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles, or simmer for about an hour until soft enough to crush between two fingers. A pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the soaking water softens them further.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.

Udhaiyam Brown Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are small, dark, thick-skinned chickpeas that stay firm and separate after cooking instead of breaking down. They have a deeper, nuttier, more earthy flavour than the large white variety and a noticeably chewier bite.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and chana sundal
• Sprouting for salads and chaat
• Dry curries, stews and slow-cooked gravies

How to cook it

These want a long soak — eight hours or overnight in plenty of water, as they take up well over double their volume. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water and a little salt for six to eight whistles and let the pressure fall naturally. Older stock can need a couple of whistles more, so check one before you open the pan. Keep the cooking liquid; it thickens the gravy and carries the flavour.

Pack and storage

1 Kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are premium split red lentils that cook quickly to a smooth, velvety consistency. Used worldwide in soups, stews and traditional Indian dal dishes.

• Quick-cooking split red lentils
• Perfect for dal, soups, stews and curries
  

Udhaiyam Green Mung Beans Whole are whole green gram with the skin on, mild and slightly earthy, and among the quickest of the whole pulses to cook. They are also the standard bean for sprouting at home, since they germinate reliably in a couple of days.

Best for

• Sprouting for salads and sundal
• Whole moong dal and pesarattu batter
• Curries, soups and stir-fries

How to cook it

Rinse and soak for four to six hours, which is enough for a bean this size. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part beans for three or four whistles for a soft dal, or two whistles if you want them to hold their shape. To sprout, soak overnight, drain thoroughly, and keep them in a covered colander or tied cloth at room temperature for a day or two, rinsing once a day until the tails show.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

TRS Rosecoco Beans are dried borlotti-type beans, speckled pink and cream in the packet and an even brown once cooked. They have a smooth, chestnut-like texture and a mild, faintly sweet flavour that suits a long, slow stew.

Best for

• East African bean stews and githeri
• Minestrone, soups and casseroles
• Bean salads, and coconut-based curries

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, and throw the soaking water away. Simmer in fresh water for 60 to 75 minutes, or pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles, until a bean crushes easily. They soften more readily than kidney beans, so check early. Salt at the end, and mash a spoonful back in if you want a thicker stew.

Pack and storage

500 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Toor Dal, also called tuvar or arhar dal, is split pigeon pea — the everyday lentil behind sambar and most North Indian dals. It cooks down to a smooth, mildly sweet, golden purée.

This is the plain variety, not the oily-coated type. It needs no washing off before use beyond a normal rinse.

Best for

• Sambar
• Dal tadka and dal fry
• Gujarati dal, and rasam

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times. A 20 minute soak shortens the cooking but is not essential. Pressure cook with about 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 3 to 4 whistles, or simmer for 35 to 45 minutes until it collapses when pressed. Finish with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, garlic and curry leaves.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.

Annam Split Chickpeas (Chana Dal) in a larger bag for households that cook it often. Husked and split brown chickpeas, firm enough to stay in recognisable pieces after cooking, with a nutty taste that suits both wet dals and dry stir-fried sides.

Best for

• Dal with bottle gourd, pumpkin or spinach
• Sundal, paruppu usili and koshimbir
• Tempering, where a spoonful fried in oil adds crunch

How to cook it

Soak for an hour or more before cooking, since chana dal is the slowest of the common lentils. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of water and turmeric for four to five whistles if you want it soft, or three if the dish needs whole pieces. Add salt only after it is cooked. Drain and cool it fully before grinding for vada.

Pack and storage

2kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Annam Black Gram (Urid Dal Gota) in a smaller pack, whole skinless urad with the round white grains used for grinding rather than for dal. It is the batter lentil, valued because it whips up light and holds air through fermentation.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter
• Medu vada, ulundu vadai and thayir vada
• Ulundhu kanji and batter-based tiffin dishes

How to cook it

Rinse well, then soak four to six hours, adding a teaspoon of fenugreek seed if you are making idli. Grind with small additions of cold water until the paste is smooth and visibly aerated. Mix with ground soaked rice at about one part urad to three or four parts rice, salt it and leave it to ferment overnight somewhere warm.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Red Kidney Beans (Rajma) are large dark red dried beans with a firm skin and a soft, floury inside. They are the bean for rajma — they hold their shape through a long simmer while the gravy thickens around them.

Best for

• Rajma masala with rice
• Chilli and bean stews
• Salads, and thick soups

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, and discard the soaking water. Dried kidney beans must be boiled hard — bring them to a rolling boil for at least ten minutes before the heat comes down. Then pressure cook for 6 to 8 whistles, or simmer for about 90 minutes, until a bean squashes to a paste. Mash a spoonful into the gravy to thicken it.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Mung Dal is split green gram with the skin removed, leaving small flat yellow grains. It cooks faster than almost any other dal, needs no soaking, and breaks down into a smooth pale-gold purée with a mild, clean flavour that never fights the tempering. This is the 2kg bag for kitchens that cook dal most days.

Best for

• Khichdi and ven pongal
• Everyday yellow dal and light broths
• Kosambari, payasam and sweet dishes

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Pressure cook one cup with two and a half to three cups of water for three whistles, or simmer it uncovered for about twenty-five minutes, skimming the foam that rises early on. For a fuller, nuttier flavour, dry-roast the dal in a pan until it smells toasty before cooking — worth doing for pongal. Temper at the end with ghee, cumin, asafoetida and green chilli.

Pack and storage

2kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Chick Peas are dried kabuli chana — the large, pale, round chickpeas. Cooked from dry they have a firmer bite and a fuller, nuttier taste than tinned, and they give you the cooking liquid, which is worth keeping for the gravy.

Best for

• Chole and chana masala
• Hummus and blended dips
• Chaat, salads and thick soups

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours — they take up their own volume again in water. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water for 6 to 8 whistles, or simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until a chickpea crushes easily. A pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the soaking water softens them faster. Salt only once they are tender.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small, dark brown chickpeas with a firm skin and a deeper, nuttier taste than the larger white kabuli type. They hold their shape in the pot, so they stay whole in a curry instead of breaking down.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and Punjabi chana curry
• Sundal and chaat
• Sprouting, and adding to salads

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, in plenty of water — they roughly double in size. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water and a little salt for 5 to 6 whistles, or simmer for about an hour until a chickpea crushes easily between finger and thumb. Keep some of the cooking liquid back; it thickens the gravy nicely.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Annam Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small, dark, thick-skinned chickpeas, quite different from the large white kabuli variety. They stay firm and whole after cooking and have a denser, earthier taste, so they suit dishes where you want to bite into a distinct pea.

Best for

• Kala chana curry with onion and tomato
• Sundal and dry tempered chickpea sides
• Salads and chaat with onion, lemon and coriander

How to cook it

These need a long soak. Cover them with plenty of water for at least eight hours or overnight, as they will not soften properly otherwise. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of fresh water for six to eight whistles, with salt added only once they are tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which is dark and full of flavour, to thin the curry later.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Roasted Chana, sold as daria or pottukadalai, is split chickpeas that have already been roasted, so they need no cooking at all. They are dry, crisp and mild, and in South Indian cooking they do a job no other ingredient does: ground into chutney, they thicken it without water and without cooking.

Best for

• Coconut chutney for idli and dosa
• Ladoo and sweets, ground to flour
• Snack mixtures, sundal and eating plain by the handful

How to cook it

For chutney, grind two tablespoons with coconut, green chilli and a little water; add it a spoon at a time, as it thickens quickly and is hard to loosen again without thinning the flavour. For ladoo, grind it to a fine flour first and sieve out the coarse bits. It needs no roasting or soaking, so it can go straight into a mixture or on top of a dish for crunch.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container so they stay crisp.