The most common staple of Indian cooking is yellow dal. It’s usually sold without husks and cooks relatively quickly even without having to soak it beforehand. It’s rich in protein and very adaptable and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Most popular in the north of Indin, this husked dal is rich in fibre and protein and is a rich base for any meal. Because of its hardy nature, it often needs to be soaked overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.

If you don’t have time to wait, then split masoor is a good choice since it takes less time to cook and doesn’t require a lot of soaking.

Black on the outside and white on the inside, urad dal is another favourite of the northern states. Thanks to its tough exterior, it requires a lot of soaking to cook easily.

The husked version of Black Urad Dal, white Urad tends to be used as flour more than a whole lentil. When ground up and mixed with water, white urad forms the base of many dishes such as dahi vadas which are protein-rich and delicious.

A staple not only of India but for many middle-eastern and Mediterranean cuisines too. It’s high in folates and protein but is also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties too and thanks to its flexible texture.

Though the flavour is divisive and not everyone’s cup of tea the health benefits of horse gram are undeniable. As it's easy to grow and rich in iron and calcium, it is often used in animal feed, which is how it got its distinctive feature.

Popular across the country toor (also known as tur dal or pigeon peas) is rich in iron, folic acid and magnesium and has a wide range of uses from sweet to savoury. It appears in dishes like rasam just as often puran poli.