RED GRAM or the Pigeon Pea probably originated in the sub-tropical regions of Eastern India. It is one of the oldest and also one of the most popular food crops in the world. India is the world's largest producer of this crop, which is the fifth most popular legume worldwide. The roots of the red gram plant shelter rhizobium bacteria that turn atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate soil fertilizer. Farmers love this plant because its soil-enriching effect makes rotation agriculture and mixed farming cheaper by lowering the fertilizer demand of the soil.

Apart from being a valuable food crop, the plant is a host for the lac-producing insect, and the leaves are fodder for silk worms. While Indians consume the red gram mostly as dhal, the plant and the green seeds are common ingredients in soups and salads in Kenya and Tanzania, and the green pods are a common vegetable in Latin America. Like all legumes, the red gram is an energy-dense, protein-rich food..........click for more

Source Web Page: The Hindu