The Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan, syn. Cajanus indicus) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Other common names are Arhar, Red Gram,Toovar/Toor (Hindi/Gujarati/Marathi/Punjabi), Togari (Kannada), Kandi (Telugu), Gandul, Guandul, Congo Pea, Gungo Pea, Gunga Pea, and No-Eye Pea.

The cultivation of the pigeon pea goes back at least 3000 years. The centre of origin is most likely Asia, from where it traveled to East Africa and by means of the slave trade to

the American continent.Toda1pigeon peas are widely cultivated in all tropical and semi-tropical regions of both the Old and the New World.

It can grow to a small tree
Pigeon Pea is an important grain legume crop of rainfed agriculture in the semi-arid tropics. The Indian subcontinent, Eastern Africa and Central America, in that order, are the world's three main pigeon pea producing regions. Pigeon pea is cultivated in more than 25 tropical and sub-tropical countries, either as a sole crop or intermixed with such cereals as sorghum (Sorchum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetium glaucum), or maize (Zea mays), or with legumes, e.g. peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Being a legume, pigeon pea enriches soil through symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

Early scientific names

• Cytisus cajan (Crawfurd 1852)
• Cajanus indicus, Spreng. (Valder 1895)

Uses

Pigeon peas are both a food crop (dried peas, flour, or green vegetable peas) and a forage/cover crop. The dried peas may be sprouted briefly, then cooked, for a flavor different from the green or dried peas. Sprouting also enhances the digestability of dried pigeon peas via the reduction of indigestible sugars that would otherwise remain in the cooked dried peas.

In India, split pigeon peas (toor dal) are one

of the most popular pulses—along with chickpeas (chana), urad and mung. It is also called as 'Tuvara Parippu' in Kerala. In south India a popular dish Sambhar is made with this. Besides this dal is also made with pigeon peas.

Pigeon peas are nutritionally important, as they contain high levels of protein and the important amino acids methionine, lysine, and tryptophan. In combination with cereals, pigeon peas make a well balanced human food.