Pigeon peas
Gandules, toor dal, red gram: one small bean, many names, and a soft, nutty mash.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat pigeon peas from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve pigeon peas by age
6 months+
Thick mash or soft dal
Cook split pigeon peas (toor dal) until they fall apart into a thick, scoopable dal, or mash very soft whole pigeon peas with a fork, adding a little water, breast milk or formula until smooth. Load it onto a spoon your baby can hold, or mix it with mashed potato or sweet potato.
- Size
- A thick mash on a pre-loaded spoon, or spread thinly on a soft finger food about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Press the mash between your thumb and finger. It should be smooth, with no whole or half peas left.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Each pea squashed flat, or thick dal
As the pincer grasp develops, press each soft-cooked pigeon pea flat with your thumb or a fork and offer the flattened discs, or serve a thicker dal your baby can scoop with their hands. Stirring them into soft rice or mashed vegetables makes them easier to pick up.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Squash every whole pigeon pea flat; never serve them whole and round.
- Check before serving
- Each pea should squash completely flat with gentle pressure. If it springs back or stays firm, cook it longer.
12 months+
Dal, rice and peas, or in stews
Serve pigeon peas in family meals: a mild toor dal, Caribbean rice and peas, or a stew. Take your child's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or seasoning mixes.
- Size
- Flattened peas about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) across, or mashed into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Still squash each whole pea flat before serving. Whole pigeon peas are firm and round.
18 months+
Flattened in family meals
Offer pigeon peas the way your family eats them, with whole peas still pressed flat or partly mashed. Dal with rice or soft flatbread is easy to scoop with a spoon or fingers.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), each pea flattened, or mashed.
- Check before serving
- Check that each pea is soft and flattened, especially in mixed dishes.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare pigeon peas
- 1
Canned or frozen pigeon peas: choose canned ones with no added salt, then drain and rinse them under running water. Split pigeon peas (toor dal): tip them into a sieve, pick out any small stones, and rinse them under running water.
- 2
Dried whole pigeon peas: soak them for at least 5 hours (overnight is easiest), pour away the water, then boil them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes and until very soft, without salt. The FDA gives these soak and boil times for kidney beans and says the natural toxin is found in many kinds of beans, so our suggestion is to use them for dried pigeon peas too. The FDA also says slow cookers don't get hot enough to destroy the toxin in kidney beans, so don't use one for dried beans.
- 3
Simmer split pigeon peas in fresh water, without salt, until they fall apart, and simmer canned or frozen ones until each pea squashes easily.
- 4
Mash or flatten them, depending on your baby's age, and let them cool before serving.
- 5
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of mash or dal. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and smearing is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Serving whole pigeon peas
Whole pigeon peas are small, firm and round, and the CDC lists whole beans as a choking hazard. Mash them, or press each one flat.
Undercooking dried pigeon peas
Soak dried whole peas for at least 5 hours, then boil them in fresh water for at least 30 minutes, and keep going until each one squashes easily. Don't use a slow cooker for dried beans.
Using salty canned peas, stock or seasoning
Babies shouldn't have added salt. Choose no-salt-added cans, rinse them, and skip stock cubes and seasoning mixes in your baby's portion.
Stopping after a few refusals
Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Try another form, like dal on a spoon instead of flattened peas.
Questions parents ask
Can pigeon peas be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole pigeon peas are small, firm and round, and whole beans are on the CDC's list of choking hazards for young children. Cook them until very soft, then mash them, cook split peas into a soft dal, or squash each whole pea flat. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to pigeon peas?
Pigeon peas are not one of the top 9 US allergens, but the NHS lists beans, lentils and peas among foods that can trigger an allergic reaction. Offer a small amount on its own first, and watch for signs of a reaction. Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor first if your baby already has a food allergy or eczema, or if there is a family history of food allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Once pigeon peas are eaten without a reaction, keep offering them as part of usual meals.
Are pigeon peas healthy for babies?
Cooked pigeon peas have about 6.8 g of protein and 6.7 g of fiber per 100 g, plus folate (USDA FoodData Central). They also have about 1.1 mg of iron per 100 g, a small part of the 11 mg a day babies 7–12 months need, and it's the plant (nonheme) kind, which the body absorbs less well than iron from meat (NIH).
What are gandules and toor dal?
Both are pigeon peas. Gandules is a common name in Caribbean cooking, where they're often sold green, canned or frozen. Toor dal (also called arhar dal or red gram) is dried pigeon peas, split, used in Indian cooking. Split pigeon peas cook into a soft mash that's easy for babies.
Can pigeon peas cause gas?
They can. Beans, peas and lentils contain carbohydrates that are only partly digested, and gut bacteria make gas as they break them down. A little extra wind is common and usually settles as your baby gets used to them.
Can pigeon peas help with constipation?
Pigeon peas contain fiber, and the NIH lists legumes among fiber foods for children with constipation, along with plenty to drink. The NIH also says fiber guidelines aren't set for babies under 1 year. Offer sips of water with meals, and talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if your baby is often constipated.
Are pigeon peas a good source of iron?
They have some, about 1.1 mg per 100 g cooked, but less than many other beans, so they don't count as an iron-rich food here. The NIH says vitamin C and meat help the body absorb plant iron, so pair them with foods like tomato, broccoli or red pepper, or a little soft meat.
If your baby refuses pigeon peas
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: dal on a spoon, flattened peas, or mashed into rice or potato.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing pigeon peas
- Keep dried and split pigeon peas in a sealed container in a cool, dry cupboard, and frozen ones in the freezer.
- Cooked pigeon peas and dal keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Move leftover canned peas out of the can into a covered container. Rice dishes, such as rice and peas, are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Cooked pigeon peas and dal can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your baby already has a food allergy or eczema, or there is a family history of food allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever. Ask before introducing pigeon peas and other legumes.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- USDA FoodData Central: Pigeon peas (red gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NIDDK: Eating, diet and nutrition for gas in the digestive tract
- NIDDK: Eating, diet and nutrition for constipation in children
- FDA: Bad Bug Book (2nd edition), phytohaemagglutinin
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
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