The cultivation of the pigeon pea goes back at least 3,500 years. The center of origin is probably peninsular India, where the closest wild relatives occur in tropical deciduous woodlands.

Pigeon peas are both a food crop (dried peas, flour, or green vegetable peas) and a forage/cover crop. In combination with cereals, pigeon peas make a well-balanced meal and hence are favoured by nutritionists as an essential ingredient for balanced diets.