Recipe : Horse Gram Soup – a Powerhouse of Goodness

Think legumes and it is quite likely that green gram (moong), pigeon pea (toor dal) or red kidney beans (rajma) immediately come to your mind.   Horse gram (kulthi bean) in all probability does not figure in your list.  Well, this indeed is the case for horse gram is generally less talked about it, even though it is a super powerful legume. However, this superfood is now gaining importance considering the immense health benefits it has to offer.

Horse gram – Pic courtesy Luke Coutinho

Health benefits galore

Horse gram is a powerhouse of nutrients.  It is rich in several antioxidants, like polyphenols, flavonoids which are known to have positive effects in the treatment of heart diseases, blood sugar levels and even certain cancers.  It offers several health benefits which include boosting gut health, aiding in weight loss and blood sugar management.  Horse gram is one of the richest and an inexpensive vegetarian source of protein.  It is quite versatile and can be used in your diet in several ways.  You can use the sprouted legume in salads, soups and curries.  Horse gram rasam (hurule saaru) which is an aromatic preparation containing a medley of spices is a very popular dish in Karnataka.

Kulith Or Horse Gram Soup:

A healthy and wholesome recipe that combines the goodness of horse gram, spies and vegetables.  Recipe courtesy – Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach- Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine

Pic courtesy Luke Coutinho

Ingredients:

• 250 gm kulith/horse gram (soaked overnight)
• 1 tsp cow ghee
• ½ tsp jeera/cumin
• 2-3 curry leaves
• ½ tbsp fresh ginger and garlic ground to a fine paste
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup water
• Pink Himalayan salt as per taste
• ¼ tsp pepper powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander /pureed coriander paste

Method:

• Soak the horse gram overnight and pressure cook it the next day.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and then add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
• Then add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for few minutes.
• Add in the boiled horse gram.
• Add turmeric powder along with ½ cup of water and bring to a boil.
• Once done, add chopped or pureed coriander paste.
• Add salt and pepper as per taste.
• Top with fresh lemon juice.
• To make it a one-pot soup, you can also add 2 tbsp boiled rice/millet rice to this

Horse gram soup- Pic courtesy Luke Coutinho

A detailed version of this article was originally published in ZeeZest.