Pigeon Pea

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan), known across India as Toor, Arhar or Tur, is one of the most important food legumes of the tropics and the cornerstone of the South Asian protein diet. The whole grain is a small, rounded, cream-to-brown pulse; when dehusked and split it becomes the golden-yellow Toor Dal that is arguably India's single most consumed dal — the base of sambar, dal tadka and countless everyday meals. It carries roughly 21–23% protein and a distinctive earthy flavour that no other dal substitutes.

India is simultaneously the world's largest producer AND the world's largest consumer and importer of pigeon pea, growing 3.5–4.5 million MT annually across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Crucially, domestic production rarely meets demand, so India structurally imports whole pigeon pea — chiefly from Myanmar and the East African belt of Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi — and re-mills it into Toor Dal at home. This dual role makes India both the price-setting buyer and the dominant miller of the global pigeon-pea trade.

Globally, pigeon pea trades as whole grain (for milling and re-export to India) and as split Toor Dal (for diaspora retail and foodservice). Export grades are defined by polish, oil-coating and broken percentage: premium double-polished and oily Toor Dal for branded diaspora retail; standard split for foodservice; and unpolished / desi split for traditional buyers. India differentiates on milling depth, authentic flavour and diaspora brand trust against origins such as Myanmar and East Africa.

Pigeon pea is unique in global pulse trade: India is at once the largest producer, the largest consumer and the largest importer. Toor Dal is the irreplaceable base of South Asian cooking, and India's structural production deficit forces dependence on Myanmar and East African whole-grain imports that it re-mills at home.