Which masoor dal is best: whole vs split, brown vs red

Masoor dal is the Indian name for lentils, the dry seeds of Lens culinaris, and it reaches the shelf in three guises: whole (sabut masoor), split and skinned (dhuli masoor, the red lentils of most recipes), and malka, a market name for unsplit masoor that IFCT 2017 does not use. IFCT 2017 records the food under the English name "Lentil, dal" and prints regional names for the lentil, from Masur dal in Marathi and Mosur dal in Bengali to Mysore paruppu in Tamil; the full list sits on the masoor dal names page.

The whole and split forms are the same seed at different stages of processing. The FAO describes pulses as the edible seeds of leguminous plants, harvested dry, and masoor is one of them; a 2014 review of pulses counts lentils among the foods that provide protein and fibre along with iron, zinc, folate and magnesium. What changes between the forms is the kitchen behaviour: skin, cook time and texture. That is what the sections below sort out.

Whole masoor keeps its brown seed coat, which is why it is also called brown lentils. It usually takes a soak to soften the coat and a longer cook than the split form, and even fully cooked it holds its shape instead of breaking down. That makes it the choice for dals with body and for dishes where the lentil should stay separate: thick, spoon-standing preparations, one-pot dishes with vegetables, and salads or tikkis built on whole seeds. A pack labelled sabut masoor is the same brown whole lentil; the name on the pack changes, the seed does not.

IFCT 2017 records the whole lentil under its own entry, separate from the split dal's, and the numbers on this page cover the split dal, so no whole-masoor figure is quoted. Buy whole masoor for dishes that want a firm bite, and give it the longer soak and simmer it asks for; soaking is among the household methods the ICMR-NIN guidelines list for improving the digestibility of legumes.

Split masoor is the whole seed split and skinned, which turns it the pale orange-red that gives red lentils their name. It is the fast-cooking form: a short soak or none, a quick boil, and the pieces soften into a smooth mash that suits everyday tadkas, khichdis and soups. Every masoor recipe on this site is written for it: masoor dal tadka, masoor dal khichdi, masoor dal soup, masoor dal dosa and masoor dal porridge, with the full set in the masoor dal recipes roundup.

The nutrition numbers quoted for masoor across this site are this form's. IFCT 2017's entry for lentil dal gives 323 kcal, 24.35 g of protein, 52.53 g of carbohydrate, 10.43 g of fibre and 7.06 mg of iron per 100 g. Its glycemic index, from the University of Sydney database, is 25 as the mean of five tests on boiled red lentils, all done in Canada and the UK, which puts it in the low band. For the whole table, see the masoor dal's nutrition per 100 g page.

Malka masoor is a trade name for unsplit masoor. IFCT 2017 has no malka entry, only the split dal and two whole lentils, one brown and one yellowish, so the composition tables record no distinction for it. Pack labels are not used the same way by every seller, so judge a malka pack by what is inside rather than by the name. Whole seeds with a brown coat cook like sabut masoor: soak them, cook them longer, and expect them to hold their shape. If the seeds are whole but skinned, follow the cooking directions on the pack. If a recipe asks for whole masoor, a malka pack with the brown coat on is a fair match; for soft dals, the split, skinned dhuli form is still the one to buy.

The choice is a kitchen choice before it is anything else. Split masoor: for everyday dal, khichdi, soups, dosas and baby food, where the lentil should soften and blend. Whole masoor: for firm dals and mixed dishes with a separate lentil. Neither form is nutritionally empty and neither is a medicine; the table below carries the composition listed for the split dal, the entry the recipes are written for.

A katori of cooked split masoor is made from 30 g of dry dal and gives about 97 kcal, 7.3 g of protein, 15.8 g of carbohydrate and 3.1 g of fibre. Whole masoor cooks from the same measure, and no separate numbers are quoted for it. In the pot, the split form wins on time and the whole form on texture. Cook either the way the guidelines prefer, since boiling or pressure cooking improves the nutritional quality of pulses, and wash the dal well, but not repeatedly, before it goes in.

Per 100 g raw, edible portion. Composition: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). GI: University of Sydney GI database. — means not reported. These are average values for the food; the label on a pack gives the values for that product.

Three colour names, three different things on the shelf. Red lentils are split and skinned masoor. Brown lentils are whole masoor with its seed coat on, the same seed in its whole form; IFCT 2017 prints it as "Lentil, whole, brown". The main difference between red lentils and brown lentils is whole against split.

Green lentils are a different shelf altogether. They are whole lentils of another colour; IFCT 2017 has no green lentil entry, so no figures are quoted for them, and like other whole lentils they hold their shape when cooked. The phrase is also used loosely for whole green gram (moong), which is a different plant, Vigna radiata, so check the pack. The red-versus-green question, then, is not one choice but two: red lentils for soft dal, whole green lentils where the lentil should stay firm, and neither is better except for the dish in front of you. For the dal-to-dal comparison with toor, see masoor dal vs toor dal.

Buying. Pick the form by the dish, then look at the pack: clean seeds, few broken pieces, and no dust, webbing or holes in the pack. If organic matters, the pack should carry a certification mark such as India Organic. The word natural is regulated by FSSAI for a single food with nothing added and only minimal processing; it does not mean organic. Dates help too: pick the most recent packing date on the shelf.

Storage. Food grains should be dried adequately and stored in airtight containers to protect them from moisture (ICMR-NIN); keep dry masoor in a steel dabba or glass jar in a cool, dry place. Cooked dal follows the usual leftover rule: cool it at room temperature, refrigerate it within one to two hours, and eat it within two days, per the UK Food Standards Agency.

In one line each: split dhuli masoor for everyday dal, khichdi and anything that should melt; whole sabut masoor for firm dals, mixed dishes and salads, and a malka pack read by its seed; brown means whole, red means split, and green is a different lentil to check on the pack. Whatever the form, the cooking rules from above hold: soak the whole, boil or pressure cook, and use just enough water without draining. The masoor dal hub walks the dal from names to nutrition, and if blood sugar is the concern, masoor dal for diabetes covers the GI side, with the calorie arithmetic in masoor dal for weight loss.

Difference between masoor dal whole and split?

The whole form keeps the brown seed coat and holds its shape after long cooking; the split form is skinned, pale orange-red, and melts into a soft dal in a short cook. They are the same seed at different stages of processing. Choose whole for firm-textured dals and salads, split for everyday dal, khichdi and soup.

Difference between masoor dal and masoor malka?

Masoor dal usually means the split, skinned form used for soft dals; malka is a trade name for unsplit masoor, and IFCT 2017 has no entry under it. Pack labels differ, so look at the seed: whole with a brown coat cooks like sabut masoor and holds its shape, while split masoor cooks quickly into a mash. The figures above cover the split dal.

Difference between red lentils and brown lentils?

Red lentils are split and skinned masoor; brown lentils are the same seed whole, with the coat on. That one step of processing changes everything in the kitchen: red lentils cook fast into a soft mash, brown lentils need a soak and stay separate. IFCT 2017 lists the split dal's entry; no separate whole-lentil numbers are quoted.

Which is better red lentils or green?

Neither is better in itself; each wins for its own dishes. Red lentils, the split masoor, soften into smooth dal and soups quickly. Green lentils are a different, whole lentil that keeps its shape, and in Indian shops the label sometimes means whole green gram, so check the pack. Pick by the texture the dish needs.

Which masoor dal is best?

The one that fits the dish. For everyday dal, khichdi, soup and anything soft, split skinned masoor is the practical pick and the form every recipe here uses. For firm, spoon-standing dals and mixed dishes, whole sabut masoor. There is no single best masoor; the dish decides.