moth bean Vigna aconitifolia, a low-growing, matlike plant which is cultivated as a pulse in India, especially in dry regions such as Rajasthan, takes its common English name from the Hindi one. The young pods, containing tiny seeds, make a delicious and nutritious vegetable. In India the seeds, either whole or split, are used to make a dal (dal moth).
© the Estate of Alan Davidson 1999, 2006, 2014 © in the Editor’s contribution to the second and third editions, Oxford University Press 2006, 2014.