For the past couple of years, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal has been writing about and documenting the humble pulses and lentils of India. In fact, in 2018, she initiated the celebration of Dal Diwas on January 25. "Across India, there may be 40 to 50 variants — 30 used more commonly and 10 to 15 that are only locally available. Dals are split pulses of the bean, lentil and pea family. They are dicotyledons, which means they split into two. Rice, on the other hand, is a single grain or monocotyledon," Ghildiyal, author of A Pinch of This and Handful of That, explains.

Dissecting the dal

Today, she will conduct an online workshop on the versatility of dals (pulses and lentils) in Indian cuisine that will re-introduce you to the rich history of the ingredient, the diversity of its use across the subcontinent, and its culinary versatility. Proceeds go to towards supporting the marginalised farmer community in the Himalayas. "In the evolution of our farming practices, dals and cereals are inter-cropped as they fortify the soil and replenish its nutrients. When we consume dal-rice (cereal and pulse), it provides the body with amino acids. In the lockdown, while it is the easiest to stock, it also ensures we have balanced nutrition and energy for all the house work," she jokes. In summer, dhuli moong (split yellow lentil), tur (split pigeon peas) and chana dal (split chickpeas) are most digestible followed by masoor (red lentils). "Moong is versatile. Soak it and have it raw in a salad. My cooker has conked off, and I've been making all my dals without it."