Are you trying to gain weight but keep failing? Do you want to put on 10 lbs. of muscle, yet you can’t seem to gain any weight? If yes, then you’ll want to read this. I’ve tried a lot of ‘proven’ ways that left me feeling frustrated and hungry. I decided it was time for some experimentation.

Urad dal (black lentils) are tiny little beans that are high in protein- and they are delicious! They might be small, but they will give you great energy. Urad dal can be eaten as they are, cooked in a variety of dishes and also used to make bean flour. This article is all about How To Eat Urad Dal For Weight Gain andBenefits Of Urad Dal.

How To Eat Urad Dal For Weight Gain

Weight Loss: Rich in protein, urad dal is also known to be brimming with vitamin B iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Weight Loss: Urad dal is brimming with fibre which may aid in weight loss

Highlights

• Urad dal is one of the most popular dals in the Indian cuisine
• Urad dal is quick, easy and delicious
• Here is an urad dal recipe made without oil which may aid in weight loss

Let’s just agree that dal is a staple in Indian cuisine. Be it for its versatility, variety, health benefits or its use in the global cuisines, dal has always proved to be an indispensable part of our meal. Not only are dals one of the best vegetarian sources of protein but they can also be made in myriad yummy ways. From a simple meal of dal chawal or an elaborate Dal Makhani or Panchrantna Dal, the quintessential delicacy is everywhere. But one thing that remains common in all of it is the use of oil.

From tuar dal, moong, and masoor to chana, arhar and urad, dals have a huge variety and are traditionally soaked and cooked in oil with spices and herbs across Indian homes. While dals are extremely nutritious and wholesome addition to your diet, the excess oil that they are cooked in minimises the nutrition. For the ones who are trying to shed kilos, it can be quite a fight to fill the diet with protein-rich dals whilst avoiding oil. Cooking dal in an Indian household without oil seems to be next to impossible. But fret not, we’ve got you covered on it too!

Urad dal also known as Split Black Gram is one of the most popular dals in India. Rich in protein, urad dal is also known to be brimming with vitamin B iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Most importantly, urad dal may aid in weight loss since it is full of fibre and protein, which takes time to digest, keeps you full for longer and keep unnecessary hunger pangs at bay. Besides that, urad dal pleases almost every taste palate since it is easy to prepare and can be cooked in many different ways. Even without oil! Yes, you read that right.

How To Make Urad Dal Without Oil | Urad Dal Recipe

This recipe of Khatti Urad Dal uses sour curd instead of oil to cook which will not only keep excess oil at bay but also adds a tinge of tanginess to the delicacy. All this recipe needs is pressure-cooked urad dal sautéed with curd, garlic, green chilli, salt and turmeric, and served hot! Yes, it is that simple, quick and fuss-free!

Urad dal for babies

Starting from 8 months, babies can be introduced to urad dal in the form of idli, kichadi, porridge, etc. Urad dal will improve digestion and brain development. It also helps in developing and strengthening the bones. It is good tummy-filling food. Being rich in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, urad dal makes an excellent weight gaining food for babies and kids.

Health benefits of Urad dal for pregnant women and teenage girls

Since the urad dal recipes I am going to share are suitable for both kids and adults alike, let me also talk about some health benefits of including urad dal in the diet of young ladies.

One cup of cooked urad dal meets about 69.30% of your daily requirement of folic acid. Hence, including urad dal in a pregnant women’s regular diet will help the fetal brain development. In some regions, towards the end of the third-trimester Ulundhu Kali is prepared and given to the expecting mother. This is expected to strengthen her backbone and also helps for easy delivery. Before breakfast, my mother-in-law used to give me a bowl of Ulundnu Kali with lots of sesame oil during pregnancy.

Also, when a girl enters puberty, lots of particular food and home remedies are followed in South India for a couple of weeks. I am a vegetarian, so my mom and grandma made lots of urad dal recipes for me when I hit my menarche. The urad dal will give strength to the uterus.  The kali is also given to the girl for 14 days along with the palm jaggery, sesame oil, and dry ginger. All these are packed with protein, folic acid, omega 6, calcium, vitamin E,  potassium, zinc, copper, etc.

Urad dal is also very good for heart health and controls cholesterol levels.

7 Healthy Urad Dal Recipes for Kids and Grown-Ups too

Now that you know the health benefits of urad dal, let’s see the easy recipes that you can make with urad dal.

#1. Medu vada Recipe

Medu vada, also known as Ulunthu vadai or medhu vadai, is a popular South Indian breakfast recipe. Idli, medu vada, and filter coffee are the preferred South Indian breakfast combo. The crispy outer layer and the soft and spongy inside of the medu vada will take you to heaven when combined with sambar and chutney.

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1 cup ( 120 gms)
• Raw rice – 1 teaspoon
• Peppercorns – 1 teaspoon
• Jeera – 1 teaspoon
• Green chili chopped – 3 (adjust spice level accordingly)
• Ginger – ½ teaspoon ( fine chopped )
• Coriander leaves and curry leaves – a handful
• Salt as required ( can avoid for kids below 1 year)
• Oil for deep frying

We need to begin by soaking the urad dal and a teaspoon of raw rice together for 2 hours. After two hours of soaking, transfer the urad dal into a strainer, let all the water drain out.

Next, on the wet grinder, when it is running add the dal little by little. Do not add more water. Just sprinkle little by little. If you don’t have a wet grinder use mixer.

After grinding, you should get a thick batter. Now with the help of a whisk or using your hand beat the batter nicely for 3 to 5 minutes. This will help the batter to become fluffy.

Now to the vada batter add peppercorns, jeera, chopped green chili, ginger, curry leaves, and coriander leaves and mix everything nicely. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Kadai for deep frying.

Keep ready two bowls of water and one hand towel near the stove. Just before making the vada add the required salt and give it a good mix.

Now the trickiest part. Getting the perfect doughnut shape is undoubtedly a big task when you make medu vada. But believe me, following the below tips n tricks will help. Wet your hand in the water and take a small ball sized batter. Just roll it twice to shape it into a good ball and press it slightly to flatten it. Now dip your thump finger in the water and poke in the center carefully to make a hole. Drop the vada carefully into the hot oil. As the hand is wet, the vada will easily slide into the oil. Fry it till light golden brown.

Repeat the same for the remaining batter.

NOTE:

• The maximum soaking time is 3 hours.
• In case you don’t have time to grind, keep the soaked dal in the fridge.
• A wet grinder is best for grinding vada.
• It is very important to drain the water with a strainer from the dal.
• Also grinding it to a fine batter without any crumbs is important. In case any unground bits and pieces of dal is present, it will burst when frying the vadas.
• Adding salt while grinding or mixing the spices will make the batter loose and then it will be difficult to make vada. Add salt only at the time of making vada.
• Traditionally onion is not added to the medu vada. you can include if you want.

Now that you have made the medu vadas, let me give you some amazing combinations using it that you can devour at any time of the day.

• Sambar vada In a serving bowl add two vadas and pour hot tiffin sambar over the vada. fill 3/4th of the cup with sambar. Add chopped onions and coriander leaves and serve after 15 minutes. If the vada absorbed all the sambar add a little more sambar at the time of serving.
• Dhahi vada/ tayir vadaiMake medu vadas. Dip the vadas in hot water and squeeze them. Whisk or beat thick curd nicely. In a serving bowl add two squeezed vadas, pour the curd over it, and add chopped onions and coriander leaves. Add a few drops of mint chutney and kara boondhi on the top and serve. The tayir vadas can also be chilled and served.

#2. Urad dal Jamun Recipe

Urad dal Jamun is a yummy twist to the traditional gulab jamun and is a good healthy treat for kids above 1 year of age.

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1 cup
• Raw rice – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Oil for deep frying

For the sugar syrup

• Sugar – 500 gms
• Elachi – 2 ( crushed)
• Water –  1. 5 cups

Begin by soaking the urad dal and raw rice together for 2 hours. After two hours of soaking, transfer the urad dal into a strainer, let all the water drain out.

Next, on the wet grinder, when it is running add the dal little by little. Do not add more water. Just sprinkle the water little by little, when needed. If you don’t have a wet grinder, a mixer is fine as well. The batter should be of thick consistency.

After grinding, with the help of a whisk or with your hand beat the batter nicely for 3 to 5 minutes to make it fluffy.

Heat a Kadai with oil. Now add a pinch of salt to the batter and mix. Wet your hands with water and take a small portion of the batter and roll it to a round shape, drop in the oil. You can add four to five balls at once. Fry all the balls batch by batch. Remove it out from the oil add them to the sugar syrup(recipe given next). Repeat the same for the remaining batter.

For the sugar syrup, in a wide pan add the sugar and water and place it on the stove. Mix and dilute the sugar and boil till it reaches the one string consistency. Add the elachi powder and mix well. Keep it aside. Prepare the sugar syrup just before frying the Jamuns.

Soak the Urad dal Jamuns for two hours in the sugar syrup. Now urad dal Jamun is ready to be served. Give it a try with ice cream too.

Note: In case the batter is watery add little rice flour or maida.

#3. Urad dal Jaggery Ladoo

I usually use white urad dal for the ladoo recipe here but this can be prepared using skinned urad dal(black urad dal) too.  The shelf-life of this is two or three days.

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1 cup
• Coconut – 3 tablespoon
• Ghee/ sesame oil – 2 tablespoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Cardamom powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Jaggery – half cup or than that
• Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon ( chopped)

Method

Firstly, dry roast the urad dal in a Kadai. Next, break the jaggery into small pieces and scrape the coconut, and keep them aside.

Now, saute the coconut and cashew in the ghee.

After that, in a dry mixer jar add the urad dal and powder it first. Then add the jaggery, elachi powder, and salt and pulse for a couple of times. Now add the jaggery and mix nicely. Add jaggery in the end only to help it combine well with the dal.

Finally, mix the fried cashew and coconut with the urad dal and jaggery powder. Grease your hands with ghee, start making the small lemon sized balls.  Add ghee/sesame if you find it difficult to shape it round.

Note: 

• Grease your hand with ghee before making each ball.
• Grind the dal in batches if the quantity is extra.

#4. Urad dal Sweet Vada or Vellam Vadai Recipe

Just two to three of these sweet treats will make a good evening snack for kids. You can pack them for school too. Prepare the batter the previous day, store them in the fridge and just deep fry in the morning and pack them in the snacks box. So now let’s see this healthy urad dal recipe for kids.

Ingredients 

• Urad dal – 1 cup
• Jaggery – ½ cup
• Cardamom – 1 teaspoon
• Rice flour – 1 tablespoon ( add extra if the batter is loose)
• Oil – for frying

First, soak the urad dal for 1 hour. 

Next, transfer the soaked urad dal into a strainer. let it rest in the strainer for 10 minutes. 

Break the jaggery and keep aside.

Once the water drains completely, transfer the urad dal into a mixer jar and grind it to smooth batter. Add the jaggery and grind it together again. 

Now transfer the batter to a wide bowl and add the cardamom powder, and beat nicely with a whisk or your hand for 5 minutes.

Add the rice flour and once again beat well. The batter should be thick. Add extra rice flour if the batter is loose.

Heat the oil in the Kadai, wet your hand in the water, and take a small portion( a teaspoon size is enough) of the batter.  Just roll it once and drop it in the oil, fry it in medium to low flame. Repeat the same for the remaining batter. You can fry 5 to 7 sweet vadas at once depending upon the size of your pan.

#5. Urad Dal Masala Khichdi

This khichdi is a one-pot meal ideal for breakfast. A warm bowl of khichdi makes the best comfort food for babies and kids.

Ingredients

• broken rice – ½ cup
• urad dal – ¼ cup
• moong dal – 2 tablespoon
• ginger & garlic – ½ teaspoon (minced)
• Onion – 1 chopped
• Tomato – 1 chopped
• Green chili – 1 or 2
• cinnamon sticks- 1 inch
• clove – 2 nos
• salt – as required
• ghee – 3 tablespoon
• mixed vegetables – ¼ cup ( carrot, beans, cauliflower, potato, etc)

Soak the rice for 15 mins. Dry roast the moong dal and urad till you get the aroma. Chop the veggies.
Now in a cooker, add 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Add cinnamon sticks and clove. Add the chopped onions, minced ginger and garlic, green chilies, and finely chopped tomatoes. Saute well.  Next, add the chopped veggies. Once the veggies soften add rice and both the dals, salt, and 3 glasses of water. Pressure cook for 5 whistles. Once the pressure realizes add the remaining ghee and mix well and serve warm.

#6. Ulanthu kali or Urad dal Kali

Ulanthu Kali is a traditional urad dal recipe using black split urad dal. It is given to pregnant women and also makes a good postpartum recipe for lactating moms. Urad dal kali can be given to toddlers and kids for weight gain as well and for young girls during their early puberty days as it is good for the uterus.

Ingredients

• Black urad dal or white urad dal ( black preferred) – 1 cup
• Raw rice – 1 tablespoon
• Dry ginger powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Palm jaggery / pana vellam/ kurupatti – 3 cup
• Water(to dilute jaggery) – ¼ cup
• Water ( to mix the powder) – 1 cup
• Sesame oil/gingelly oil – 1 cup ( approximately )
• Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Method

First, dry roast the urad dal in a dry pan, till you get a light color change. In the same Kadai roast the rice.

Now, cool the urad dal, and rice together, and powder them. After the powder cools sieve it and keep it ready.

Now, in a bowl add the urad dal powder and mix it with water, the consistency should be like dosa batter. Add water accordingly. Keep it aside.

Next, break the jaggery into small pieces. In a pan add ¼ cup of water and add the broken jaggery and crushed dry ginger. Place it on the stove and melt it. Once it melts strain it and keep it ready.

In a wide iron pan (can use any pan, iron pans are healthier) add one tablespoon of sesame oil and one tablespoon of ghee and heat it.

Now, add the urad dal batter to the iron Kadai and mix it well. After that add half of the jaggery syrup and mix it again. 

Keep on mixing it, add the remaining oil and jaggery syrup little by little at regular intervals.  

At one stage the urad dal will not stick to the Kadai/pan and the texture will be similar to halwa. At that time add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix it once again, and transfer to a plate. You can have them as such or you can grease your hand with oil/ghee and roll them into round shapes and store it in a container to consume later. 

#7. Urad dal poori

Bedmi puri or urad dal poori is popular street food in North India. These are a good breakfast or snack option for kids. 

Ingredients

• Wheat flour – 1 cup 
• Urad dal – ¼ cup 
• Salt as required 
• Green chili – according to spice level
• Ginger & garlic paste – 1 teaspoon 
• Jeera powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Dhaniya powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Oil – 1 tablespoon for dough 
• Oil –  for frying the poori

Method 

First, soak the urad dal for 2 hours and drain it. Then grind it to a coarse batter by adding chopped green chili. Don’t add extra water. 

Next, in a wide bowl or big plate add all the ingredients except oil. Then combine well without water, in case you need to, then add very little water and combine well. The dough should not stick to the hand. Roll it to a lemon sized ball and grease it with oil, cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes. 

Now, divide the dough into equal size small balls.

After that press them into a circular shape, width a little thicker than chapati. Heat oil in a Kadai keeping the flame normal to high. Carefully fry the pooris one by one.

Enjoy with simple side dishes like curd or pickle. Curd is my preferred side dish for this poori.

So these are some of the healthy urad dal recipes I usually prepare at home for my kids. They are excellent for weight gain and bone health. The ingredients in the urad dal recipes I have given here can be adjusted according to the age of the child. For babies of age less than 1 year, avoid salt and adjust spice levels accordingly. Sweet recipes using urad dal are ideal for toddlers as a sweet snack.

Do try these recipes and let me know how your family liked them. Also, share in the comments any urad dal recipes you prepare at home. Sharing is caring.

Benefits Of Urad Dal

Black gram (ural dal) is a lentil that contains essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are not made naturally by the human body. Ural dal tastes delicious and can prove to be highly beneficial for a woman during pregnancy. Now that you’re pregnant and eating everything with caution, you’ll want to know, if you can eat black gram during pregnancy or not, and if yes, then how much. There are some people who believe that it’s not safe to consume urad dal when expecting, but is that true? Let’s find out!

Is it Safe to Eat Urad Dal During Pregnancy?

Urad dal can be safely consumed by a pregnant woman, with some precautions, of course. We have covered those precautions in this article. But before you read those precautions, take a look at some of the important nutrients present in ural dal and how eating this dal in moderation can benefit you during pregnancy.

Important Nutrients Present in Black Gram

Black gram (urad dal) is not just rich in fatty acids, but has many other nutrients too:

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Nutrients	Nutritional value
Essential fatty acids	One cup contains 566 mg of omega-3 and 43 mg of Omega-6
Calories	324 g per 100 gms
Total Fat	1.6 g per 100 gms
Sodium	18.9 mg per 100 gms
Potassium	1157 mg per 100 gms
Total Carbohydrate	51 g per 100 gms
Protein	23.06 g per 100 gms
Calcium	55.67 mg per 100 gms
Iron	4.67 per 100 gms
Vitamin B-6	0.22 mg per 100 gms
Magnesium	173 mg per 100 gms

Source: IFCT, 2017 by the Indian Council of Medical Research

8 Health Benefits of Urad Dal During Pregnancy

Packed with so many nutrients, urad dal is a power food that has the following benefits to offer during pregnancy:

1. It helps in foetal brain growth.

The essential fatty acids in urad dal helps in the foetal brain development during pregnancy.

2. It helps in digestion.

Fibre-rich urad dal helps sustain good gut bacteria that help with the digestion of food.

3. It may help keep cholesterol levels in check.

The fatty acids can reduce high cholesterol levels in pregnant women who are at the risk of cholesterol problems.

4. It may help strengthen the bones.

Urad dal helps the body absorb calcium and has many minerals that keep the bones strong and healthy. Having urad dal in moderation during pregnancy can strengthen your bones.

5. It may help prevent anaemia.

The iron content in urad dal can help prevent anaemia in pregnant women. It can also provide you with energy.

6. It helps prevent constipation.

Black gram or urad dal is a good source of fibre and magnesium. Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy, but it can be prevented by having fibre-rich urad dal. Fibre eases bowel movements and magnesium too helps ease constipation. 

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7. It may provide energy and reduce pain.

It has a lot of energy-producing nutrients for pregnant women to beat fatigue. Urad dal also has certain properties that relieve pain and inflammation. Its high protein content gives pregnant women the extra protein required for the production of new cells.

8. It keeps skin and hair healthy.

The antioxidants in urad dal prevent various diseases. Antioxidants fight ageing, cell, and tissue damage. They also help in keeping our hair and skin healthy. It is also good for the nervous system.

Precautions to Take While Consuming Black Gram During Pregnancy

Urad dal should be washed well and cooked until it boils thoroughly. This is because it may contain dangerous bacteria like E. Coli, Listeria or Salmonella. Cooking it to the boiling point may destroy them. These bacteria can be especially harmful to pregnant women because they can cause diseases that may induce pre-term labour, miscarriage, stillbirth and other serious problems in a newborn baby. If you must eat this dal, try and make it at home and enjoy warm ural dal. If you’re eating it in a restaurant, ensure that it is freshly prepared and well-cooked!

Do not eat too much of urad dal either during pregnancy as an excess of anything during pregnancy is bad. Eat it in moderation, especially, if you are prone to acidity during pregnancy.

Urad dal can be cooked in many ways. It can also be used for tempering dishes (tadka) when you prepare other items, mainly vegetarian side dishes. It is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and Vitamin B6. And you can consume it in moderation during pregnancy, keeping in mind the precautions mentioned above. You can also check with your doctor or nutritionist before including it in your diet.