Gahat ki Dal

गहत की दाल

Traditional dish from the Kumaon region, Uttarakhand

Also spelled: gahat dal, kulath dal, horse gram dal, gahat ki dal

Horse gram is the hills' winter workhorse pulse, and this slow-cooked dal is its plainest, most comforting form. Gahat is prized in the mountains as a warming food and a folk remedy for kidney stones, and the same pulse turns up in gahat ke paranthe and thick ras.

Ingredients

  • •Horse gram (gahat / kulath), 1 cup, soaked
  • •Mustard oil, cumin, jakhya (optional)
  • •Ginger, garlic, dry red chilli
  • •Turmeric, coriander powder, salt

How it's made

  1. 1Soak the gahat for several hours.
  2. 2Pressure-cook or slow-boil until soft (it takes longer than most dals).
  3. 3Temper mustard oil with cumin, garlic and chilli.
  4. 4Add the dal and spices and simmer until thick and flavourful.
This recipe is a general reference written for readers who want to know the dish. Quantities are to taste and every household cooks it a little differently.