Legumes · Classically cited
Urad dal
Masha·माष
Also called: black gram, black lentil, urad, dal makhani
The heaviest and most building of the pulses — genuinely nourishing and strengthening where mung is light and recovering.
How Urad dal affects your doshas
In Ayurveda a food's effect depends on your constitution. This is the lens the app uses to suggest what to favour and ease off.
| Dosha | Suitability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vata | Balancing | Calms Vata — favour it when Vata runs high. |
| Pitta | Use sparingly | Can raise Pitta — go easy when Pitta runs high. |
| Kapha | Use sparingly | Can raise Kapha — go easy when Kapha runs high. |
When to go easy
Heating and heavy: it adds to both Pitta and Kapha, and is slow to digest in quantity.
Best time to eat it
How to prepare Urad dal
Long-cooked to make the heaviness manageable. That changes how the food is experienced, not its intrinsic properties — the ratings above already describe the dal itself.
Traditionally balanced with
Classical pairings that make Urad dal easier to digest or more balancing for the doshas.
In the classical texts
Urad dal is attested in the Charaka Saṃhitā (Sutrasthana 27).
Classically cited. Directly attested in the classical Ayurvedic corpus.