Lentils and Beans in Nepali: Dal Names in English with Photos

Musuro means lentils, mung means mung beans, rahar means pigeon peas, and kerau means peas in Nepali. This guide brings together common names for daal, dried beans and peas, with market photographs showing whole and split forms.

Names vary by region and shop. Check the variety and whether it is whole, split, skin-on or skinless before buying it for a recipe.

Common dal and bean names in Nepali and English

Nepali name	English name	What to check
Musuro	Masoor lentils	Whole or split red/pink lentils
Maas	Black gram / urad	Whole, split with skin, or split without skin
Mung / mugi	Mung beans / green gram	Whole green beans or split forms
Rahar	Pigeon peas / toor dal	Often sold split and yellow
Chana	Chickpeas / Bengal gram	Whole chickpeas or split chana dal
Kerau	Peas	Whole dried peas or yellow/green split peas
Bodi	Cowpeas / black-eyed peas	Local names and varieties vary
Rato bodi / rajma	Kidney beans	Dried beans; follow variety-specific preparation
Gahat	Horse gram	Whole pulse
Bhatmaas	Soybeans	Black or pale-yellow varieties
Bakulla simi	Broad beans / fava beans	Fresh or dried; specify which you need

Whole and split: why the form matters

Singo means whole. A whole pulse and its split, skinless version can look different and cook differently. For example, whole mung beans have green skins, while split skinless mung is yellow. Do not identify a pulse from colour alone: yellow split peas and split pigeon peas are different ingredients.

Market photographs and detailed names

Lists of most common Dried Beans, Lentils, and Peas used in Nepal (Daal Haru)

Daal (dried beans, lentils, and peas) needs little introduction in Nepali cuisine and no Nepali meal would be complete without it. 

Daal includes all dried legumes, lentils, beans, and peas.  There are many forms of daal (Dried Beans, Lentils, and Peas)available, such as whole, split with skin, split without skin, or ground into flour.  Each daal variety is cooked in its own way.  For example, daal that is split without skins cooks much faster than whole daal.

Bulk Food open marketplace at Ason Tole, Kathmandu, offers a wide variety of beans, lentils, peas, rice, pressed rice flakes, grains, spices, dried fruits, nuts, and many different variety of flours.

Daal is either cooked by itself or combined and cooked with vegetables, rice, and other ingredients.  When cooked daal is paired with rice, the meal is called daal-bhaat and this combination is eaten throughout Nepal.  Daal is also used in many other ways – it is soaked and pureed to make into delicious fried snacks or bread.  

It can be sprouted, mixed with vegetables to make into dried nuggets, and used in sweet dish.  Daal is prized for its high protein content.  It is perhaps one of the primary sources of protein especially in a vegetarian diet.  Nepalese generally prefer thinner daal and typically cooked to the consistency of soup (thin gravy) rather than a thick form, making it suitable as a sauce over boiled rice.

The following is the list of most common dried beans, lentils and Peas used in Nepal.  The photographs below show many of these ingredients and their common forms.

(Nepali-English)

Maas - Urad Beans, Black Gram - (used in three forms)

• Singo Maas ko Daal - Whole Urad Beans (with skins)
• Maas ko Chhata Daal - Split White Urad Beans (without skins)
• Kaalo Maas ko Daal – Split Black Urad Beans (with skins)

Mugi, Mung – Moong Beans, Green Gram - (used in three forms)

• Singo Mung ko Daal – Whole Moong Beans (with skins)
• Pahelo Mung ko Daal – Split Yellow Moong Beans (without skins)
• Khoste Mung ko Daal – Split Green Moong Beans (with skins)

Musuro - Lentils, Masoor Lentil (used in two forms)

• Singo Musuro ko Daal - Whole Lentils (with skins)
• Musuro ko Daal – Split red or pink lentils (without skins)

Rahar – Pigeon Peas, Indian Toor or Toovar Daal, Yellow Lentils

• Rahar ko Daal – Split Yellow Pigeon Peas (without skins)

Chana – Bengal Gram, Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans

• Chana ko Daal made from Kaalo Chana – Split Bengal Gram- (without skins)
• Sukeko Thulo Chana – Dried Whole Garbanzo Beans, White Chickpeas, Kabuli Channa or Chole
• Kaalo Chana – Dried Whole Bengal Gram with dark reddish-brown skins
• Hariyo Chana – Shelled Fresh Green Chickpeas

Sukeko Sano, Thulo Kerau – Dried Peas

• Sukeko Hariyo Thulo Kerau – Dried Peas, Green (Whole)
• Sukeko Pahelo Thulo Kerau – Dried Yellow Peas (Whole)
• Kerau ko Daal (pahelo or hariyo) – Yellow or Green Split Peas (skinless)
• Sukeko Hariyo Saano Kerau – Small Variety of Field Peas
• Bodi – Black-Eyed Peas, Cow Peas or Lobia
• Rato Bodi – Dried Kidney Beans, Rajma
• Simi – Common Field Beans
• Gahat – Horse Gram
• Masyang or Mussyang – Rice Bean, Red Bean
• Sukeko Bhatmaas  (kaalo, seto) – Soybeans (black or pale yellow)
• Sukeko Bakulla Simi – Broad bean, Dried Fava Beans
• Quanti – Mixture of Freshly Sprouted Beans, Lentils & Peas
• Maseura – Urad Bean Nuggets
• Moong ko Titaura – Mung Beans Nuggets

Preparing different pulses

Whole beans, split peas and skinless lentils need different preparation. Follow instructions for the specific pulse and your cooking appliance. A single cooking time is not suitable for every variety. For a detailed reference, see North Dakota State University’s bean preparation guide.

Jyoti's bhandar kotha (pantry) - next to my kitchen

Getting ready to take pictures for my next blog posting....

Finally ready!

Photo taken at the wholesale market near stone-paved galli (alley) in the Makhan Tole area of Kathmandu, pre-packaged daals (lentils, peas and beans) in clear plastic bags.

Stocking up..

Freshly harvested whole Urad Beans - Singo Maas ko Daal

Split Black Urad Beans (with skins) - Kaalo Maas ko Daal

Split White Urad Beans (without skins) - Maas ko Chhata Daal

Whole Moong Beans (with skins) - Singo Mung ko Daal

Split Yellow Moong Beans (without skins) - Pahelo Mung ko Daal

Whole Lentils (with skins) - Singo Musuro ko Daal

Split red or pink lentils (without skins) - Musuro ko Daal

Dried Whole Garbanzo Beans, White Chickpeas, Kabuli Channa or Chole - Sukeko Thulo Chana

 Close-up look of Dried Whole Bengal Gram with dark reddish-brown skins - Kaalo Chana

Dried Whole Bengal Gram with dark reddish-brown skins - Kaalo Chana

Split Bengal Gram (skinless) -  Chana ko Daal made from Kaalo Chana

Split Yellow Pigeon Peas (without skins), Indian Toor or Toovar Daal, Yellow Lentils - Rahar ko Daal

Shelled Fresh Green Chickpeas - Hariyo Chana

Yellow Split Peas (skinless) - Kerau ko Daal (pahelo)

Green Split Peas (skinless) - Kerau ko Daal (hariyo)

Close up look of Black-Eyed Peas, Cow Peas or Lobia - Bodi

Black-Eyed Peas, Cow Peas or Lobia - Bodi

Dried Kidney Beans, Rajma - Rato Bodi

Fava Beans, Broad bean - Sukeko Bakulla Simi

Quanti or Biraula – Mixture of Beans, Lentils & Peas

Close up look - Quanti or Biraula – Mixture of Beans, Lentils & Peas to make freshly sprouted bean, "Quanti."

Masuera - Urad Bean Nuggets

Close up look - Masuera - Urad Bean Nuggets

Moong ko Titaura – Mung Beans Nuggets

Small Variety of Field Peas - Sukeko Hariyo Saano Kerau

Close up look - Small Variety of Field Peas - Sukeko Hariyo Saano Kerau

Nepali Porter's burlap sack is filled with rice - he is trying to transport to a different location----Oops it is so heavy!

Finally, with a helping hand.....

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Common questions

What is rahar ko daal in English?

Rahar ko daal is pigeon pea dal, often sold as split toor or toovar dal. It is different from yellow split peas.

What is kerau ko daal in English?

Kerau ko daal refers to split peas, which may be yellow or green.

Are all beans called the same thing in Nepali?

No. Names such as simi, bodi and chana refer to different ingredients, and local usage varies. Imported names such as pinto or cannellini may appear on the packet; use that label and the photograph rather than assuming an exact one-word translation.

Related Nepali ingredient guides

Pair this list with the Nepali spice-name directory, vegetable-name guide and foods to try in Nepal.