What it does, and how sure we are
Chana dal stands out even among pulses for how slowly its energy is released, which is where much of its benefit comes from.
- Legumes improve blood-sugar controlStrong · trials
- Pulses lower LDL cholesterolStrong
- High plant protein and fibre for fullnessEmerging
- "Besan is a health flour, fry away"Not quite
Trials of legume-rich, low-glycaemic diets show real improvements in blood-sugar control, and chana dal has one of the lowest glycaemic indexes of any staple, hence the Strong rating. Besan is milled from it and keeps that protein, but it is still flour: good in a chilla, less so deep-fried into pakoras.
The one thing to know
Chana dal is a split desi chickpea, the small, dark, nutty Indian chickpea, and it is not the same as the big pale kabuli chana you find in chhole. Ground fine, this same pulse becomes besan (gram flour). Its defining feature is a remarkably low glycaemic index: its firm, fibre-rich starch digests slowly, so it raises blood sugar less than almost any other everyday carbohydrate, which is why it is so often recommended for steady energy and diabetes-friendly eating.
Slow-release starch
steady energy
One of the lowest-GI staples, so it keeps blood sugar and hunger on an even keel.
Becomes besan
one pulse, many forms
Whole, split as dal, or milled into gram flour for chilla, kadhi and sweets.
How to cook with it
Chana dal holds its shape more than softer dals, which makes it as useful for texture as for body.
Soak, then cook well
It is firmer than most dals, so give it a good soak and enough time to turn tender.
As a crunchy tadka
A spoon fried in the tempering adds nutty crunch to poha, upma and South Indian dishes.
Dal and sweets
Cooked into everyday dal, and the sweet filling of puran poli and many mithai.
Milled to besan
The base of chilla, kadhi, and the binding in countless dishes.
Traditional use
The desi chickpea is one of the oldest cultivated pulses in the subcontinent, and its versatility, dal, flour, roasted snack, sweet, made it a cornerstone of the vegetarian kitchen long before glycaemic index was a phrase. Roasted chana was, and is, a common protein-rich snack for working people. Tradition prized it as filling and sustaining; modern nutrition adds the detail of why. We keep the heritage as heritage and rate the health claims on their evidence.
Is it safe?
As an everyday food, yes, and a particularly good one for blood sugar. The usual pulse caveat applies: its fibre and oligosaccharides can cause wind or bloating in some people, eased by soaking, thorough cooking and a pinch of hing, and the gut adapts with regular eating. And a reminder that besan is still flour: nutritious in a chilla or kadhi, but deep-frying it into pakoras makes a treat, not a health food. The dal itself is wholesome, filling and kind to blood sugar.
Sources
- Jenkins DJA, et al. Effect of legumes as part of a low glycemic index diet on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(21):1653–1660.
- Ha V, et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. 2014;186(8):E252–E262.
- Afshin A, et al. Consumption of nuts and legumes and risk of incident ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(1):278–288.