Dry pigeon peas are common in Indonesian and Indian cuisines. In India, pigeon peas are soaked, dried, hulled and split to prepare dhal. In Indonesia, pigeon peas are fermented with Rhizopus mold then soaked, dehulled, and cooked to produce tempeh. Fermentation with Aspergillus oryza gives a sauce similar to soy sauce, Dry peas can be ground and mixed with wheat flour to give a higher protein content than flour alone. Immature pods may be cooked in curries and other relishes.
Pigeon pea has numerous uses in animal feeding as well. The leaves and pods are valuable and palatable protein-rich fodder. Leaves are sometimes used to replace alfalfa in ruminant diets in areas where alfalfa cannot be grown. Seed processing by-products, and sometimes the whole seeds, are used as livestock feed. The seeds can be fed to poultry and mixtures of pigeon peas with maize grain. Plant breeders have created varieties adapted to drier conditions, more resistant to diseases, and suited to different production systems and cropping cycles. Since the 1990s there has been an increase in varieties available, allowing selection of cultivars with not only higher grain yields but also higher forage yields and crude protein.
