Have you heard of horse gram? I got to know of this amazing lentil/legume from my Ayurvedic doctor, who ran through my entire diet chart and overhauled it a few years ago. And here I was, thinking I had the most balanced diet one could think of! Apparently, there were a few things that I was missing in my diet, and horse gram was one of them. He suggested that I get powdered horse gram and add it to batters or simply mix it with warm water and drink it regularly. I had a different idea though – I decided to make a dal out of this, after researching some recipes online.
Horse Gram in Ayurveda
Horse gram is a key ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines. It is powdered and used as a traditional medicine, for treating ailments like asthma, bronchitis, peptic ulcers, and hemorrhoids. The biggest takeaway for me, is its protein richness. In fact, it derives is name from the fact that it is fed to horses before races! The best part is that this lentil can thrive in parched, arid environments, making it easy to grow in difficult conditions.
Horse Gram Lentils
Dal
Dal is one of my all-time favorite Indian dishes. Made from different lentils or legumes, dals are a great source of vegetarian protein. Growing up in an Indian vegetarian family, I can vouch for dal as my main source of energy. I have dal at least once a day. I love both the North and South Indian dals. They taste very different, but are equally delicious and satisfying. It is hard for me to pick my most favorite dal but if I had to, I would pick Dal Tadka.
Wholesome Horse Gram Dal
After researching several recipes, I zeroed in on this spicy recipe that is somewhat like Rajma Masala. As with rajma (kidney beans), it is necessary to soak horse gram lentils for a long time (overnight is best). An important next step is to also to pressure cook the lentils for at least 40 minutes. You can do this in a regular pressure cooker or an Instant Pot (IP). The rest of the preparation is straightforward. Ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder and coriander powder give this dish an amazingly unique, spicy flavor. This adds to the somewhat nutty taste and texture of the lentils. All in all, a recipe worth trying!
Horse gram in its powdered form, is used as a traditional Ayurvedic medicine for treating ailments like asthma, bronchitis, peptic ulcers, and hemorrhoids. Like other legumes the biggest benefit is that it is high in protein and fiber, and is a great option for everyone, especially for vegetarians. We all know that fiber and protein may help support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Dal Recipes
Check out all our delicious dal/legume recipes here:
- Dal Makhni
- Delicious Dal Tadka!
- Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) Dal
- Healthy Mung-Radish Greens Dal
- Andhra Tomato Pappu – Delicious Tomato Lentil Dal
- Tomato Fenugreek Dal
- South Indian Palak Dal – Spinach & Lentils Stew
- Mamidikaya Pappu- Raw Mango Dal
- Rainbow Chard Red Lentil Stew
- Cabbage Kootu: Cabbage & Lentil Stew
- Instant Pot Moringa Leaf Dal
- Hearty Sarson Panchratna Dal
- Chana Masala
- Instant Pot Rajma Masala
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Wholesome Horse Gram Dal
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Horse Gram Lentils - Soak for 24 hrs.
- 1/3 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1/2 Cup Tomato - Fine cut
- 1 Clove Garlic - Fresh, crushed
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger - Fresh, crushed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder - Organic
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Or cayenne pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Bran Oil
- 1/2 Cup Filtered water
Instructions
- Wash and soak horse gram lentils for 24 hrs. (or overnight).
- Pressure cook in Instant Pot (IP) for 40 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release, transfer pressure cooked lentils into a bowl and clean the IP pan.
- Cut onion, tomato, cilantro, and set aside in separate bowls. Crush fresh ginger and garlic.
- Set IP to 'sauté' mode, add oil. Once the 'hot' sign shows up, and onion, crushed ginger and garlic. Cook till slightly brown.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder and mix. Now add tomatoes, salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add coriander powder, garam masala, and mix well.
- Add pressure-cooked lentils, water, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cilantro and mix.
- Transfer to serving bowl.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with Jeera Rice and fresh cucumber.
- Serve with hot roti and fresh cucumber.
This is a delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much!