Horse Gram Health Benefits and Ways to Cook the Gram

What is Horse Gram?

Horse gram is a legume and is called by several names in different languages like 'kollu' in Tamil and 'kulthi' in Hindi. It is cultivated in India, Malaysia, Burma, Australia, West Indies, and Africa. The legume is a source of powerful nutrients and bioactive compounds. Horse gram uses are several and has important contributions to human health. It can be used in making several scrumptious recipes.

Nutritional Facts of Horse Gram

Horse gram has an impressive nutritive profile. The potential health-promoting bioactive compounds found in horse gram are phenolics, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, prebiotics, tannins, phytosterols, saponins, terpenoids, fatty acids, and dietary fibers (soluble and insoluble). Horse gram nutritional value for 100 grams is given below -

• Energy: 321 kcal
• Protein: 22 g
• Carbohydrates: 57 g
• Fiber: 5 g

Horse gram also contains good amounts of calcium (287mg/100g), iron (7mg/100g), and phosphorus (311g/100g).

The carbohydrates promote anti-diabetic effects and help in preventing colorectal cancer. Higher concentrations of essential amino acids that improve muscle mass and prevent malnutrition are found. The legume is also rich in vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.

Horse gram has powerful antioxidants owing to the rich presence of flavonoids like quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin. The isoflavonoids found are daidzein and genistein.

What are the Health Benefits of Horse Gram?

Horse gram promotes several health benefits owing to its abundant nutrients. Horse gram benefits are well established in Ayurveda medicine.

Glycemic friendly: Horse gram is a good source of soluble fiber. The legume helps bring glycemic control and prevents increase in blood glucose levels. It also minimizes carbohydrate absorption proving to be diabetes-friendly.

Anti-inflammatory property: Horse gram aids in reducing inflammation and its seeds are used in making anti-inflammatory drugs to counteract hemolytic activity.

Anti-microbial property: Seeds of horse gram has exhibited significant activities against disease-causing gram-positive bacteria like Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Prevents and Treats kidney stones: The diuretic property of the legume is beneficial for kidney health. It dilutes the urine and augments the flow of urine. Drinking horse gram water and horse gram soup may benefit in preventing and treating kidney stones.

Antioxidant property: The presence of antioxidants like phenolic compounds, phytic acid, tannins, and dietary fiber helps in preventing coronary heart disease, constipation, gallstones, diabetes, and colon cancer. The isoflavonoids in horse gram also aid in preventing cardiac attack, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

Hypocholesterolemic properties: The protein, fiber, flavonoids, and saponins present in horse gram helps in lowering cholesterol levels. Regular consumption of horse gram may reduce serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

Women's health: Horse gram uses in women's health are connected to its potential to increase hemoglobin levels and reset irregular menstrual cycles.

Weight loss: Horse gram is rich in protein, fiber, and phenols and low in calories. The legume prevents fat absorption, thereby, helps in achieving healthy weight loss.

Hair and skin health: Horse gram benefits for hair and skin are well known� aids in hair growth and shine. Applying horse gram paste topically can also treat boils and rashes on the skin.

Advantages of horse gram are many, however, its disadvantages should also be kept in mind. The legume contains anti-nutrients that prevent the absorption of good nutrients. Therefore, soaking, sprouting, and cooking will reduce the anti-nutrient content and, thus, horse gram's nutrition can be preserved.

Recipes

Horse gram can be used in making tasty recipes like horse gram rasam, chutney, soup, gravy, and many more. Here are a few recipes made using horse gram that will add variety to one's daily menu and provide healthy nutrients.

Horse Gram Dal

Ingredients: Horse gram, onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, ghee, and salt.

Method:

• Soak the horse gram overnight and pressure cook with salt and turmeric powder.
• Heat a pan; add ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds. and let crackle.
• Add asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste, and saut�.
• Next, toss in chopped onions and saut� well, add tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and cook.
• Mash the cooked horse gram and add to the pan, cover and let it cook for a few minutes.
• Finally, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Horse Gram Khichdi

Ingredients: Horse gram, rice, sliced ginger, onion, chili powder, ghee, coriander leaves, salt, water.

Method:

• Soak horse gram overnight and rice for 2 hours.
• First, pressure cook the horse gram with salt, turmeric powder, and ginger and mash well once cooked.
• Next, add the soaked rice to the same cooker.
• Saut� onion in oil until translucent and add to the cooker.
• Drizzle a few drops of ghee and pressure cook again for 5 to 6 whistles.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kulthi/Kollu Soup

Ingredients: Horse gram, tamarind paste, pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves, water, salt, oil.

Method:

• Soak the horse gram overnight and pressure cook, keep the strained water separately.
• Partially mash the cooked horse gram.
• To make the masala powder, dry roast mustard seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, and grind to a powder.
• In a pan, heat oil, add curry leaves, tamarind paste, mashed horse gram, masala powder, strained water, and salt.
• Add more water to adjust consistency.
• Stir well and let it boil.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Horse Gram Sprout Salad

Ingredients: Horse gram sprouts, tomato, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, lettuce leaves, coriander leaves. For the dressing- olive oil, lemon juice, pepper powder, salt.

Method:

• In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
• In another bowl, toss in the chopped vegetables and horse gram sprouts.
• Add the dressing, mix well and serve.

References:

1. Ingle, K.P., Al-Khayri, J.M., Chakraborty, P., Narkhede, G.W., & Suprasanna, P. (2020). Bioactive compounds of horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum Lam. [Verdc.]). InH. N. Murthy, & K. Y. Paek (Eds.),Bioactive compounds in underutilized vegetables and legumes. Reference series in phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44578-2_36-1)
2. Pandey, C. D. (2019). Horse gram/kulthi dal�A lentil unexplored.International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 58.
3. Prasad, S.K., &Singh, M.K. (2015). Horse gram:An underutilized nutraceutical pulse crop: A review.Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52,2489�2499. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-014-1312-z)
4. Horse Gram Benefits Nutrition Recipes - (https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/blog/article/horse-gram-benefits-nutrition-recipes)
5. Horse Gram recipes - (https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/recipes/horse-gram-recipes)
6. Horst Gram sprout Salad - (https://www.padhuskitchen.com/2015/01/horse-gram-sprout-salad.html)

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