Lentils, pulses, dals, whatever you call it, there’s no doubt it’s an essential part of every Indian kitchen. We know that polished dals go through processes that cause it to lose much of its husk, leading to a massive loss of natural nutrients. But, what’s the difference between unpolished dals and organic dals? Are there benefits to, say, adding organic toor dal to your diet? Let’s find out.

Unpolished Dal

While unpolished toor dal might not look as aesthetically pleasing as its polished counterpart. But, looks aren’t everything. Sometimes additional artificial powders and colors are used to make polished dal, further decreasing its natural taste. On the other hand, what unpolished dal lacks in looks, it certainly makes up for with its additional nutrients.  

Although a bit heavier on the pocket, unpolished dal has its husk still intact, which contains natural fiber that keeps your digestive system healthy. It also has a much higher amount of protein compared to polished dal!

Organic Dal 

Apart from being much better for the environment, organic dals are both unpolished and chemical-free. That means organic dal has all the added nutrients of unpolished dal, along with extra protection from harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, the pesticides used to grow crops, apart from organic crops, can often find their way into our bodies. With organic dal, there is no risk of that happening, making it a much better option than unpolished dal.

What to Look for in Organic Dal

It’s important to keep an eye out for a few key features in organic dal. As it is quite a bit more expensive than polished and unpolished dal, you need to ensure that this higher price is justified. 

Here are a few things to look out when shopping for organic dal:

• APEDA certification or logo, showing the dal sticks to the guidelines laid by NPOP (National Program for Organic Production).
• Make sure you read the label carefully to see if any preservatives have been added.
• Organic dal will not be uniform or identical like polished dal.
• In the same vein, organic dal may look dull by comparison as it still has its outer husk intact.