Toor Dal substitute

Best substitute

Yellow split peas

Use the same amount as the toor dal you are replacing

Best for sambar

Different taste

Yellow split peas are the everyday substitute at 1:1; they need roughly 15 to 25 minutes longer and taste greener and more distinctly of pea, so a sambar made with them is a little sweeter and less nutty. Masoor dal (red lentils) is the fastest option at 1:1, cooking in about 20 minutes, but it breaks down into a much looser, sweeter, orange puree, so a dal made with it is thinner and needs less water. Chana dal, split skinned chickpeas, gives the closest look and a nuttier flavour but stays firmer and takes 45 minutes or more, so it suits a dal where you want some texture. The job toor dal does is body and mild savoury bulk: it is the thick, slightly sticky base that carries the tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and chilli, and the tamarind sourness in a sambar. It contributes almost no strong flavour of its own, which is exactly why it is used, and why almost any yellow pulse can stand in if you get the water and the timing right.

Other toor dal substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Masoor dal (split red lentils)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount with about ½ cup less water per cup of dal
The fast answer: 20 minutes on the stove, no soaking, no pressure cooker.
What changes
It collapses even more completely than toor dal, so the finished dal is looser and smoother rather than thick and slightly clingy, and the colour turns pale gold-orange instead of yellow. Flavour is sweeter and softer, with less of the nutty backbone, so a sambar comes out gentler; a little extra tamarind or an extra spoon of sambar powder brings the savoury edge back.
Best for
quick weeknight dal, sambar, dal for rice, soups
It foams and sticks. Skim the froth in the first few minutes, keep the heat moderate and stir the bottom of the pan, or you will get a scorched taste through the whole pot.
3Chana dal (split skinned chickpeas)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount with ½ cup more water and 15 to 25 extra minutes
Visually the closest of all, the same flat yellow discs, and the nuttiest in flavour, which suits a South Indian dal well.
What changes
The real difference is that chana dal holds its shape stubbornly: even when cooked through, the pieces stay distinct rather than melting into a puree. That makes a lovely textured dal and a slightly wrong sambar, since sambar wants a smooth base with the vegetables providing the texture.
Best for
textured dals, dal with vegetables, sambar if you whisk it smooth, puran and sweet fillings
Soak for at least an hour, ideally two. Pressure cook 20 to 25 minutes, then whisk hard with a spoon or a traditional wooden masher to break it down if the recipe wanted smooth dal.
4Moong dal (split skinned mung beans)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount with ½ cup less water and 10 to 15 minutes less cooking
Cooks faster than anything else here, roughly 20 minutes, and is the easiest on the stomach, which is why it is the dal given to people who are unwell.
What changes
It goes very soft and smooth, and it tastes lighter, cleaner and a bit sweeter than toor dal, with none of its slight heaviness. A dal made with moong is delicate; in a robust sambar or a rich dal fry it can taste thin, so go a little heavier on the tempering.
Best for
khichdi, light everyday dal, dal for children or convalescence, soupy dals
Toasting the dry moong dal in a pan for two minutes before cooking gives it a nuttier flavour, which brings it closer to toor dal.
5Whole pigeon peas, dried or frozen
Different texture
Use the same amount dried, with 15 to 20 extra minutes and an overnight soak
Technically the same pulse with the skin still on, sold as whole toor, gungo peas or gandules and often frozen or canned in Caribbean and Latin sections.
What changes
The flavour is exactly right, more so than any other substitute here. What changes is texture: the skins keep the peas whole, so you get a brothy dish with distinct peas rather than a thick puree, and you will need to mash or blend a good portion of it to get anything like dal.
Best for
dal where you can blend or mash, soups, Caribbean pigeon pea dishes, stews
Frozen pigeon peas cook in about 20 minutes with no soak and are the easiest form to find outside an Indian grocer.
6Urad dal (split skinned black gram)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount but only in a pinch
The weakest option here, and worth being honest about.
What changes
Urad dal turns sticky and slippery as it cooks, giving a dal with a slightly gluey mouthfeel that is wonderful in dal makhani and out of place in a sambar or a light everyday dal. The flavour is also stronger and more distinctly earthy. Use it if it is the only dal in the house, keep the water on the generous side, and expect a heavier, more viscous dish.
Best for
rich dals in a genuine pinch
If you go this route, add a squeeze of lemon at the end and a proper tempering of ghee, cumin and asafoetida to lift the heaviness.

What is Toor Dal?

Toor Dal is Toor dal, also spelled toovar or tuvar and called arhar dal in northern India, is split skinned pigeon peas: flat yellow-gold discs that cook down into a thick, mildly nutty, faintly sweet puree.

Cooking tips

Add tamarind, tomato, lemon or yoghurt only after the dal is completely soft. This matters more with toor dal and split peas than almost anything else in the kitchen: acid added at the start can leave the dal grainy after two hours of boiling, and it is the single most common reason a sambar refuses to come together.
A pinch of turmeric and a few drops of oil in the cooking water stop toor dal boiling over and cut the foam, which is why nearly every Indian recipe includes them at that stage rather than later.
Rinse until the water runs clear, three or four changes. Toor dal is often sold oiled to preserve it, and that oily coating tastes stale if you do not wash it off; if the grains look glossy, rinse in warm water and rub them between your palms.
The tempering is not optional and is not garnish. Hot ghee or oil with mustard seeds, dried chilli, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida poured over the cooked dal is where most of the flavour comes from, and it will rescue almost any substitute pulse you used.
Toor dal is done when a grain crushes to nothing between your thumb and finger. Undercooked dal tastes chalky and no amount of spice hides it, so give it another ten minutes if you are unsure.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use yellow split peas instead of toor dal?

Yes, and it is the standard substitute where toor dal is hard to buy. Use it 1:1 and allow considerably longer cooking, around 45 to 60 minutes on the stove or 15 to 18 minutes in a pressure cooker. The dal will taste a little sweeter and greener and slightly less nutty, which a good tempering and, in a sambar, the tamarind and sambar powder largely cover.

Is toor dal the same as chana dal or masoor dal?

No, though they look similar in the bag. Toor dal is split pigeon peas, mildly nutty, and cooks to a thick puree in about 30 minutes. Chana dal is split chickpeas, nuttier and much firmer, needing 45 minutes or more and holding its shape. Masoor dal is split red lentils, sweeter and softer, collapsing completely in 20 minutes. All three substitute for toor dal with the timing and water adjustments noted above.

Do I have to soak toor dal?

No, but 30 minutes to an hour cuts the cooking time by roughly a third and helps it cook evenly. If you are substituting yellow split peas or chana dal, soaking makes a much bigger difference and is close to essential unless you are using a pressure cooker.

Can I make sambar without toor dal?

You can make it with another pulse, but you cannot make it without any dal at all. The dal is the body of the dish; without it you have spiced tamarind vegetable water. Yellow split peas or masoor dal are the two practical replacements. Masoor dal is quickest, though it gives a thinner sambar, so use a little less water than the recipe says.

How much water does toor dal need?

Roughly three cups of water per cup of dal for a thick dal and closer to four for a soupy sambar base, and a cup of dry dal yields about two and a half to three cups cooked. If you substitute split peas, start with the same amount and top up with hot water as they drink it; if you substitute masoor dal, start with half a cup less.

Related substitutes

More legumes substitutes

Toor Dal substitute

Other toor dal substitutes

2Masoor dal (split red lentils)

3Chana dal (split skinned chickpeas)

4Moong dal (split skinned mung beans)

5Whole pigeon peas, dried or frozen

6Urad dal (split skinned black gram)