Vigna mungo / black gram / black lentil / white lentil / black matpe bea / urad / urad dal / udad dal / urd bean / urd / urid is a bean grown in Southern Asia. White Urad dal – whole or split – is made from the seeds after removing their husk. The “black lentil” is the whole urad bean or split urad dal. The “white lentil” is after the black skin has been removed.

Black gram originated in India. It is one of its most highly prized pulses and has been in cultivation since ancient times. The coastal Andhra region is famous for production of black gram and paddy. The Guntur District ranks first in Andhra Pradesh in the black gram production. Black gram has also been introduced to other tropical areas mainly by Indian immigrants.

The bean can be boiled and eaten whole or made into dal by splitting it. Ground into a flour or a thick paste, it is extensively used in making dosa, idli, vada and papads in the most popular South Indian cuisines.

Urad is highly nutritious and is recommended for diabetics just as the other pulses. Dal makhani is a famous dish made with black gram.

Urad is known as uzhunu (ഉഴുന്ന്) in Malayalam, as minumulu (మినుములు) in Telugu, as uddina bele (ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ) in Kannada, as ulunthu (உளுந்து) in Tamil, and as biri dali in Oriya. Vigna mungo is used in traditional Indian medicine called Ayurveda.