The other very famous name of chana dal is gram dal or Bengal gram. It has a nutty flavour and a very crunchy texture. When you powder it, it turns into gram flour or Besan. Many Indian delicacies contain both chana dal and gram flour as important ingredients.
The cultivation of chana dal in India has happened for a long time. But in some beliefs, the origin of chana dal is the region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Chana dal provides many health benefits for the teeth, muscles, eyes, bones, etc. Chana dal is an amazing protein source for vegan people.
Chana dal is the split form of black chickpeas without outer skin that is black. Pale yellow or bright golden is the colour of this lentil. One side of this divided chickpea is round, and the other is flat.
Many Indian dal recipes contain chana dal or gram dal. Due to its rich aroma and great taste, you can use chana dal in savoury or sweet recipes. This famous lentil has high nutritional value and protein content.
Hope you got all kinds of information about gram dal from the above article. Like – chana dal in Kannada, its cost, availability, popularity in the local area, health benefits of chana dal, nutritional value, and many more.
| English name | Gram dal |
| Kannada name | Kadale bele |
| Scientific name | Cicer Arietinum |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Species | C. arietinum |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Order | Fabales |
| Genus | Cicer |
Chana dal in Kannada name
Kadale bele is the Kannada name of chana dal. Gram dal or chana dal are the most popular names of chana dal in India. But it is not possible that people from different regions in India can understand the word.
Suppose you are in a typical Kannada-speaking area and want to have chana dal. You must ask Kadale Bele for better communication because there is a chance that the people or shopkeepers of those regions do not understand the English word.
Health benefits of chana dal
There are so many health benefits from chana dal. Some of them are –
1. Chana dal Keeps skin healthy
Chana dal contains a good amount of zinc which helps keep your skin healthy and improves eyesight. Zinc is known as a good antioxidant which helps to improve immunity power. If you are going through dull skin or skin complexion issues, apply chana dal powder with water or curd or rose water on the skin. It helps in skin brightening.
2. Chana dal Improves eyesight
Dieticians and doctors advise you to add chana dal to your diet if you have the problem of night blindness. Because zinc in chana dal helps to cure or decrease the symptoms of night blindness, your body can activate certain enzymes with the help of zinc. This process helps to produce vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A is very helpful in keeping your eyes healthy.
3. Chana dal Controls the pH level and inflammation
This lentil contains no trans fats. Chana dal is full of minerals, beneficial fats, and phosphorus. Healthy or beneficial fats of chana dal help to treat inflammation in the body. Phosphorus helps neutralize the acid level in the body. Consuming chana dal or gram dal helps maintain the pH level.
4. Chana dal A portion of wholesome food for Pregnant ladies
Folic acid is helpful to protect the spinal cord and brain of a child when it is in the mother’s womb, and it also avoids some congenital disabilities. Folic acid is a content present in gram dal. For the sound development of a child, it is essential to improve the count of red blood cells (RBC) in the body. Folic acid in any food, including gram dal, does this process.
5. Chana dal is Helpful for diabetic patients
Gram dal is very nutritious. It is also high in fibre. These two contents are beneficial for diabetic patients. They help to regulate or boost the levels of blood sugar and help release glucose into the blood. Approximately 8 is the chana dal’s glycemic index. This factor makes chana dal a diabetic superfood.
6. Chana dal Prevents hair fall
If you suffer from heavy hair fall and hair damage, you should add chana dal to your diet because it contains a high amount of folic acid. Folic acid can keep the hair roots strong and nourish the scalp.Â
7. Chana dal Works as an energy provider
You can get 100 calories from only 30 grams of chana dal which is also full of minerals and vitamins. It is rich in all the vitamins ( B1, B2, B3, and B9 ) which come under the vitamin B-complex. These are helpful in the glucose metabolism process. It helps in the energy extraction of food and modifies it into adenosine triphosphate. It is a form of energy the body stores and uses as needed.
8. Chana dal Promotes a healthy heart
It works as an antioxidant which helps slow inflammation and decrease the free radical damage effects on blood vessels. The folic acid in chana dal helps reduce the hardness in arteries, decreases the risk of blood clots, and lower homocysteine levels. Chana dal contains magnesium which is helpful to regulate the heart’s actions and relax the blood vessels.
9. Chana dal Provides a great response over insulin
This lentil contains high amounts of magnesium, which is responsible for improving insulin levels and slowing insulin resistance. If your body doesn’t have enough magnesium, then your pancreas can’t secrete sufficient insulin. Insulin helps in blood sugar level control.
10. Chana dal Keeps your teeth and bones strong
To keep teeth and bones healthy, phosphorus plays an important role inside the body. Chana dal is rich in phosphorus. It combines with calcium and makes our bones strong. In the formation of bones, magnesium is helpful, which is also present in chana dal.
11. Chana dal Helps in both weight loss
Healthy living is essential to maintain weight. A healthy lifestyle needs a good diet and exercise. Chana dal may be a good choice if you want to consume food for weight loss. This lentil promotes weight loss.
- Chana dal offers energy-promoting components and calories in a moderate amount. These factors make chana dal a great energy source. But it is possible when you follow a strict diet.
- Chana dal is a perfect partner for a diet with high protein content because its protein level is high.
- The glycemic index of chana dal is very low, and it is 28. Chana dal helps to reduce the weight gain risk, heart disease, and diabetes, and it maintains the level of cholesterol.
- As a good source of dietary fibre, chana dal helps in good digestion and leads to weight loss.
- Good fats are present in chana dal. It helps fight against bad cholesterol, also known as LDL. LDL may be the cause of heart issues and weight gain.
Some photos of chana dal
Nutritional value of chana dal
Indian people can’t count a meal without chana dal as wholesome. India is the highest lentil consumer and producer country. Dal, including chana dal – the backbone of the Indian diet is full of nutrients and protein. It can provide the needed protein to both meat eaters and vegetarians. You can satisfy your daily allowance by adding any dal, including chana dal, to your diet.
You can consume chana dal cooked, steamed, or fried. You can add different types of spices and vegetables also into it. Chana dal contains necessary amino acids, dietary fibres, folic acid, complex carbohydrates (suitable for diabetic patients ), and vitamins. It has a very low-fat content.
A single serving ( 100 grams ) of chana dal provides –
| Nutrients | Quantity | % of DV |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 360 kcal | – |
| Total carbohydrates | 64 grams | 23% of he daily value |
| Total fat | 2 grams | 3% of the DV |
| Iron | 2.15 mg | 12% of the DV |
| Dietary fiber | 32 grams | 114% of the DV |
| Calcium | 40 mg | 3% of the DV |
| Sugar | 2 grams | 23% of the DV |
| Potassium | – | – |
| Protein | 22 grams | 44% of the DV |
One hundred chana of cooked gram dal or Bengal gram provided –
| Nutrients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Calories | 90.50 kcal |
| Fat | 3.25 grams |
| Protein | 4.70 grams |
| Saturated fat | 0.12 grams |
| Fiber | 3.46 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 10.20 grams |
| Zinc | 0.80 mg |
| Calcium | 13.87 mg |
| Sodium | 5.02 mg |
| Iron | 1.48 mg |
| Potassium | 220.41 mg |
| Carotenoids | 426.58 microgram |
| Vitamin D2 | 0.52 microgram |
| Vitamin B9 | 38.95 microgram |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.03 mg |
Cost of chana dal in Kannada areas
In India, the average cot of chana dal is around Rs 80 to 150 depending upon the quality, buying place, and packaging. Overall it is a pocket-friendly lentil compared to other lentils.
Popularity and availability of chana dal in Kannada areas
One of the most popular lentils used in different types of Indian foods, including South Indian cuisines, is chana dal or gram dal. Chana dal is one of the most important lentils produced in India, internationally and domestically. In a year, 80 to 90 lakh tonnes of chana dal are made in India.
India’s major chana dal producers are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. These states cultivate approximately 88% of chana dal of the total in the world. So you can not notice any deficiency of chana dal in India, and the price is very budget-friendly.
Chana dal is most famous among Kannada people because of its affordability, delicious taste, and health benefits offered by chana dal. People love to use it in saviour dishes and also sweet recipes.
Recipes of chana dal in Kannada areas
Snacks from South India are very popular all over the world. People of South India love making and eating Chutney and masala vada prepared using chana dal. They use chana dal to prepare both dishes. South Indian chana dal idli, chana dal chutney, masala vada, chana dal tadka, dal fry, and South Indian cabbage dal are some famous South Indian recipes.
Chana dal is also used in Andhra-style pulao as a Tadka to give a crunch to it. Kannada people use chana dal to make curry powder and Rasam powder.
You can also prepare sweet dishes by grinding chana dal. The powder form of chana dal is known as Besan or Gram flour. You can make Besan Ladoo and Besan Halwa by using that powder.
To lose weight, you should prepare some healthy recipes by using chana dal or add chana dal in some recipes. You can use chana dal in curries, salads, stuffings, and hummus. The powder form of chana dal is also known as Sattu. It contains a considerable quantity of protein.
People who want to lose weight can prepare chana dal sattu to shake to gain protein. Doctors also advise giving a limited amount of sattu to children above one year.
Final verdict
Every kitchen in India ( East, West, South, and North ) contains chana dal. This handy and healthy dal is super yummy and easy to prepare. It is suitable for all categorized people like – children, adults, aged people, pregnant women, diabetic patients, blood pressure patients, and many more.
You will get so much information about chana dal or gram dal from the above article, like – chana dal in Kannada, its cost, popularity, availability in the local area, health benefits of chana dal, nutritional value, recipes, and many more.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the health benefits of gram dal?
There are so many health benefits you can get by consuming gram dal or chana dal, but the major ones are –
1. It keeps teeth and bones healthy.
2. It has the properties of anti-inflammation.
3. Lows down the levels of blood sugar.
4. Use it for weight loss purposes.
5. It can prevent so many diseases.
6. Works as an immunity booster.
7. It makes your heart healthy.
8. It helps to maintain the levels of cholesterol.
9. It keeps muscles strong.
10. It helps to control blood pressure.
2. What is gram flour or Besan?
Gram dal is a yellow lentil. It is also famous as chana dal. When you grind it to prepare a powder form, it is known as Besan or gram flour. It can be in roast form or raw form.
3. How to cook chana dal?
Before cooking, soak gram dal or chana dal in water for at least 10 to 12 hours. When you soak gram dal for a long time, its taste enhances, and its cooking procedure takes less time. It also quickly digests.
4. What is the manufacturing process of gram dal?
Before putting gram dal into the market, the foreign elements and stones should be eliminated properly. Then it is graded into 2 to 3 sizes with the help of sieves. It is soaked in water for 1 to 1.5 hours for moisture absorption. Then dry it for 2 to 3 days under the sun till it dries properly. Then it is ready to go to the dal mill.
5. What are the popular chana dal recipes?
South Indian chana dal idli, chana dal chutney, masala vada, chana dal tadka, dal fry, and South Indian cabbage dal are some famous South Indian recipes. Chana dal is also used in Andhra-style pulao as a Tadka to give a crunch to it. Kannada people use chana dal to make curry powder and Rasam powder.
You can also prepare sweet dishes by grinding chana dal. The powder form of chana dal is known as Besan or Gram flour. You can make Besan Ladoo and Besan Halwa by using that powder. You can use chana dal in curries, salads, stuffings, and hummus. The powder form of chana dal is also known as Sattu.
5. How does chana dal help to lose weight?
Chana dal is very helpful for weight loss purposes. You can feel full for a long time by consuming chana dal. It doesn’t provide cholesterol and fat. You can maintain your protein needs by adding chana dal to your diet.
There are different recipes available for both weight loss and weight gain. You can roast this lentil to enhance its taste. You should follow the quantity and recipe your doctor or dietician described for better results.
6. What are the side effects of chana dal?
There are no such serious side effects of chana dal recorded. But every food has different reactions for different body types. Some people have exactly no issues, but some may deal with the side effects of chana dal.
Acidity and gas problems in the stomach are the main two side effects of this lentil. You should avoid consuming chana dal at night because it is heavy for digestion and produces gas.
Consuming chana dal may also cause belching and heartburn. Excess consumption of chana dal is also bad for health. So eating a moderate amount of chana dal is good according to the advice of your doctor or dietician.
