Split dried peas — cheap, high in fibre, and badly underused outside soup.
Matar dal is the dried, split field pea — green or yellow. It is one of the
cheapest pulses available anywhere and one of the least fashionable, which is a shame given
the numbers.
It is high in fibre, respectable in protein, and cooks down to a thick
purée that works as dal or as soup depending on how you season it.
Per 100g dry, split.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Soak 2–4 hours or it stays gritty.
Pressure cook
4–5 whistles until it collapses completely. Matar dal should be smooth, not
distinct.
It needs assertive seasoning. The flavour is mild and
slightly sweet, so it takes garlic, cumin, black pepper and a strong tadka without being
overwhelmed.
Thickens as it cools. Make it looser than you want it
— it will set considerably in the pot.
At roughly a quarter of its dry weight as fibre, matar dal is one of the highest
fibre foods you can buy cheaply. That fibre is the mechanism behind both its blood sugar and
cholesterol effects, and behind how filling it is.
Dried peas are also unusually high
in protein for their cost, which makes this one of the best protein-per-rupee foods on the
shelf — genuinely relevant if budget is a constraint.
Kidney disease: pulses are high in potassium and
phosphorus, and protein often needs limiting. This needs your doctor's numbers, not a general
rule.
IBS: pulses are high-FODMAP. Small, well-soaked, well-cooked
portions are tolerated far better than large ones.
Gout: pulses
contain moderate purines, though plant purines appear to be much less of a problem than those
from meat and seafood. If you flare after dal, trust your own pattern.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.