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Definition of urad bean
urad bean
Plural:urad beans
urad bean Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
10
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A small, black-skinned bean with a creamy white interior (Vigna mungo), widely cultivated in the Indian subcontinent and used extensively in South Asian cuisine, particularly for making dal, idlis, and dosas.
Example
"To achieve the perfect fermentation for the dosa batter, you must soak the rice and urad beans overnight."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for urad beanWord Nuance & Usage
Often confused with mung beans (green gram), urad beans are primarily known in Western contexts by their role in South Asian cuisine, notably when fermented to make batters for dosas and idlis.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term 'urad' derives from Hindi (उरद, urad) and ultimately from Sanskrit, combined with the English 'bean' (from Old English bēan). It refers to the species Vigna mungo, native to the Indian subcontinent.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Urad bean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/urad bean