Topic: chana dhal/aloo preparation

[chonk]

Dal means the dish, made of lentils, legumes or beans (split or whole), or refers to any split variety of those. They are both called 'Chan(n)a', because they are both chickpeas ;D Indian chickpeas differ from the european ones,  so they have a slightly different look. (especially being hulled and split)

Whole lentils, legumes or beans are called "sabut" in India.

Don't doubt that some places translate "Chana dal" as "yellow split lentils", but that should be "Masoor dal" (whole ones are green or brown) (:

[DalPuri]

I've always dismissed them as lentils too because theyre sold as dal, but you're correct and it sounds like another confusion with wording and packaging.  Nobody would ever refer to them as chickpeas though. (split peas maybe)

Talking of peas Chonk, please could you tell me what the name of the peas were that i ate in Mysore?  ;D

They were fresh and very seasonal, but maybe grown from a tree? Looking similar to acacia leaves.
Dont think they were from the same family, but they tasted like fresh peas. Everyone was eating strings of them, very popular.
I've tried searching online but cant find a thing. 

[chonk]

Most dals are beans or peas*, but are called, for unknown reasons, lentils  ;D

Haha, wish I could! (: They look similiar to the leaves, so you're talking about a pea with pod and everything? The seeds do remind me of whole urad, though. Also called "black lentils". (here again - no real lentil, haha)

Mysore sounds very nice, btw (:

* legumes

[DalPuri]

I love Mysore, great place. 

Found them.
I think they were a type of fresh chickpea.  ;D

[chonk]

Looks pretty exotic  ;D

[DalPuri]

Absolutely delicious!! Everyone on the streets was eating them!  ;D

[DalPuri]

On the other hand Goncalo, your friend might've meant channa(chickpeas) aloo, and not chana dal(split gram) aloo.  ;D

[goncalo]

On the other hand Goncalo, your friend might've meant channa(chickpeas) aloo, and not chana dal(split gram) aloo.  ;D

that is a good observation, although he didn't go into details, he did mention chick peas. Seeing as I generally don't eat lentils or chickpeas, I'm wondering how different are they? could I easily slip one for the other without a substantial impact?

[DalPuri]

 could I easily slip one for the other without a substantial impact?

I'd say they were pretty much interchangeable. It would be the texture that you'll notice the difference more than variety or flavour. But as you have split gram anyway, they should taste similar to full size chickpeas.

  

[goncalo]

Thank you DP. Off it goes.