Black Gram (Mash)

Black Gram (Mash) from Pakistan

Black gram (Vigna mungo) is a warm-season pulse crop cultivated during the Kharif season (June-October) across Pakistan. It is one of the most nutritionally dense pulses, with the highest protein content among commonly consumed dals (24-28%) and a uniquely rich, creamy, mucilaginous texture when cooked. The bean has a characteristic dark black to dark green seed coat with a cream-white interior. Black gram is the essential ingredient in some of South Asia’s most iconic dishes, including dal makhani, urad dal, idli, dosa, vada, and papadum.

Specifications

Whole Mash (Sabut Urad)

• Form: Whole bean, black skin intact

• Colour: Black to dark greenish-black

• Size: 3-5 mm diameter

• Protein: 24-26%

• Moisture: 10-12% max

• Purity: 98-99%

• Foreign Matter: < 1%

• Damaged/Discoloured: < 2%

• Weevil Damage: < 1%

• Non-GMO

Washed Mash Dal (Dhuli Urad)

• Form: Fully hulled and split, skin completely removed

• Colour: Cream-white to off-white

• Protein: 25-28%

• Moisture: 10-12% max

• Purity: 98-99.5%

• Broken/Powder: < 3%

• Oil Polished: Available (for bright, glossy finish)

• Non-GMO

Two Forms Explained

Whole Mash (Sabut Urad)
The complete bean with its black seed coat intact. Whole mash has a robust, earthy flavour and a dense, creamy texture when slow-cooked. It is the essential ingredient in dal makhani (the signature Punjabi black lentil dish), mash ki dal, and kali dal. Whole mash is soaked overnight and slow-cooked for several hours to achieve its characteristic rich, velvety consistency. The black skin adds fibre, minerals, and visual contrast to the dish.

Washed Mash Dal (Dhuli Urad)
Produced by completely removing the black hull and splitting the bean, revealing the cream-white interior. Washed Mash Dal cooks much faster than whole mash, producing a smooth, sticky, mucilaginous paste when ground or cooked. This unique sticky quality makes it the essential ingredient in idli batter (fermented rice-lentil cake), dosa batter (fermented crepe), medu vada (fried doughnut), and papadum/papad production. It is also used in dal tadka, soups, and traditional Ayurvedic preparations.

Industrial Uses

• Dal Makhani and dal cooking: Whole mash is the core ingredient in dal makhani, one of India and Pakistan’s most iconic and commercially significant dal dishes. Served in restaurants, hotels, airlines, and homes across South Asia and in Indian/Pakistani restaurants worldwide

• Idli and dosa batter: Washed Mash Dal is soaked, ground, and fermented with rice to produce idli and dosa batter, the foundation of South Indian cuisine. Commercial idli/dosa batter production is a large and growing food industry segment

• Papadum/papad production: Washed Mash Dal flour is the primary raw material for papadum (papad), a thin, crispy flatbread served as a side dish across South Asian cuisine. Large-scale papadum factories consume significant volumes of washed mash dal

• Medu vada and fritters: Washed Mash Dal batter is used to make medu vada, ulundu vadai, and other deep-fried lentil fritters popular as breakfast, snack, and street food items

• Urad dal flour: Washed Mash Dal is milled into flour for making appadam, chips, extruded snacks, and gluten-free baking

• Fermented foods: Black gram’s unique sticky, mucilaginous quality when ground and fermented makes it essential in fermented batter products (idli, dosa, uttapam, appam)

• Traditional medicine (Ayurveda): Black gram is considered a highly nutritious, strength-building food in Ayurvedic medicine, recommended for convalescence, pregnancy, and physical recovery

• Snack food: Fried and seasoned whole mash and split dal are popular savoury snack items

• Animal feed: Off-grade mash beans and mash dal hulls are used as protein and fibre ingredients in animal feed

Quality Assurance

Each lot includes a Certificate of Quality reporting protein, moisture, purity, foreign matter, damaged grains, weevil damage, broken/powder percentage, aflatoxin, and non-GMO status. Phytosanitary certification, fumigation certificate, health certificate, and SGS/Intertek inspection can be arranged. Pre-shipment samples are provided for buyer approval.