Bengal Gram
/ˈbɛŋ.ɡəl ɡræm/noun
A small, dark-skinned variety of chickpea widely used in South Asian cooking.
Did you know?Despite its name, Bengal gram is not restricted to Bengal; it commonly refers to desi chickpeas, whose split form is the lentil-like chana dal.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Sanskrit
vaṅga
“The name associated with the Bengal region in eastern South Asia.”
Medieval period
Persian
Bangāla
“A Persian form referring to Bengal and the surrounding region.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Bengala
“Portuguese name for Bengal, later transmitted into European languages.”
17th–18th Century
English
Bengal
“The English name for the South Asian region.”
Early Modern period
Hindi and related Indo-Aryan languages
gram
“A chickpea or pulse, from an Indian-language term for the crop.”
Modern English
English
Bengal gram
“A South Asian term for the desi type of chickpea, especially when split as chana dal.”
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