Urad Bean

Urad bean, also called black gram, is a legume cultivated throughout South Asia; the whole bean is sold as black gram, while the split bean, white inside, is called white lentil, and it should not be confused with the much smaller true black lentil. Originally classified in the genus Phaseolus, it has since been reclassified into Vigna, alongside its relative the mung bean, and it originated in South Asia, where it has been cultivated since ancient times, especially in southern India, northern Bangladesh and Nepal, later spreading to the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, Myanmar and Africa largely through Indian immigrant communities. It is a fundamental South Asian food, most commonly served as a popular dal side dish eaten with curry and rice.