Horse Gram Lentil Curry: Leguminous Delight

Variety is the spice of life. This quote is very much actual for your health. Your gut bacteria flourish on various prebiotics you provide to your body. A study says that per week, you should include at least fifty varieties of food, i.e., grains, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and seeds, to keep running your gut super smooth (3). The more, the merrier. Sometimes, we see some unique grain or lentils in our local grocery store and do not buy them despite being nutritious and wholesome because we don’t know how to cook or use them. The horse gram lentil is one such lentil. (2) (7) Horse Gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) is an underutilized legume crop with nutritional and nutraceutical benefits. It is a rich source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fibers, and micronutrients. Besides vitamins like A, B-complex, and vitamin C, horse grams contain flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and antioxidants(2) (10).

Horse gram lentil seeds contain phenolic acids that act as antioxidants, scavenging free radicals. The most important phenolic compounds in horse gram seed include quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, as well as vanillic, hydroxybenzoic, and ferulic acids. In Indian traditional medicine, horse gram seeds treat urinary stones (4),(5),(9)piles (Hemorrhoids), and urinary diseases and regulate women's abnormal menstrual cycles. In addition, its soup is a potential remedy for the common cold, throat infection, fever, and constipation.

I cook horse gram lentils in various ways. Cooking as a daal or soup is one easy way to relish it. Horse gram lentils are tiny but tough guys; they must soak in for over 8 hours or overnight. I cook it in an instant pot, but it can be cooked in a pressure cooker. My daal is a little spicier but tastes great with plain rice. You can reduce or increase the spice level according to your palette.

Why include Horse gram lentils in your diet:

• Improves Heart Health (1)

• Controls blood sugar level (2)

• Relieves Constipation (1)

• Lowers bad cholesterol (6)

• Protects against Kidney and gallstones(1) (4) (5) (9)

• Promotes weight loss (2) (6) (8)

• Protects against urinary tract disorder (2)

Horse Gram Lentil nutrients: (13)

100 gm serving

• Protein 22 g

• Carbohydrate, 57 g

• Fiber, total dietary 5 g

• Calcium, Ca 287 mg

• Iron, Fe 7 mg

• Phosphorus, P311 mg

Cautions :

1. Some people may be allergic to horse gram lentils. (11)

2. Overeating horse gram lentils may cause gastrointestinal discomfort. It can happen to any fiber-rich food. Getting accustomed to fiber-rich foods may take some time if you need to get used to them. Therefore, you should start slowly if you are not used to doing so. (12)

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time- 10 mins

Cooking time – 10 mins

Total time – 20 mins + soaking time

Ingredients

Horse gram lentil- ½ cup (dry)

Tomato- 1

Ginger- 3/4 inch

Garlic – 3 pods

Green chili- 2 (optional)

Bay leaf- 1

Asafetida -1/4th tsp

Tomato – 1

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder- ½ tsp

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Cilantro/Green coriander – 1 bunch

Oil -1 Tbsp (I am using cold-pressed mustard oil . You can use the oil you choose.)

Salt- as per taste

Directions

1. Soak Horse gram lentils for 8 hours or overnight.

2. With the help of a mortal pestle, pound ginger, garlic chilies, and cumin seeds.

3. Switch on the instant pot and put it into the sauté mode. Add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add bay leaf, asafetida, and pounded ginger garlic chilly paste. Stir the mixture for 2 mins.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and the spice mixture. Cook it for 5 mins, stirring it often in between.

5. Add soaked lentils. Add 1 cup of water and put it on pressure cooker mode. Keep the knob on airtight mode. Add the timer for 10 mins.

6. Open the lid of the pressure cooker once the pressure is released.

7. Add chopped cilantro to the cooked lentil. Stir it nicely and enjoy it with rice. Then, add a few drops of lemon juice to enhance its taste and nutritional value.

References:

1. Composition of underexploited Indian pulses. Comparison with common legumes - ScienceDirect

2. (PDF) Horse Gram, An Underutilized Climate-Resilient Legume: Breeding and Genomic Approach for Improving Future Genetic Gain (researchgate.net)

3. Frontiers | The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota (frontiersin.org)

4. Assessment of calcium oxalate crystal inhibition potential, antioxidant activity, and amino acid profiling in horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum): high altitude farmer’s varieties - PMC (nih.gov)

5. Effect of Macrotyloma uniflorum in ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis in rats - PMC (nih.gov)

6. Antihypercholesterolemic Effect of Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc (Fabaceae) Extract on High-Fat Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia in Sprague-Dawley Rats: Journal of Dietary Supplements: Vol 10, No 2 (tandfonline.com)

7. Nutritional composition, processing, and utilization of horse gram and moth bean: C R C Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition: Vol 22, No 1 (tandfonline.com)

8. A herbal premix containing Macrotyloma uniflorum, ginger, and whey curtails obesity in rats fed a high-fat diet by a novel mechanism - PubMed (nih.gov)

9. IJMS | Free Full-Text | Dietary Plants for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Stones: Preclinical Anticalcifying properties of Dolichos biflorus (horse gram) seeds. - Abstract - Europe PMCand Clinical Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms (mdpi.com)

10. Comparative study on antioxidant activity of different varieties of commonly consumed legumes in India - ScienceDirect

11. Effect of horse gram lectin (Dolichos biflorus agglutinin) on degranulation of mast cells and basophils of atopic subjects: identification as an allergen - PubMed (nih.gov)

12. In vitro fermentation of raffinose by the human gut bacteria - PubMed (nih.gov)

13. Medicinal and Nutritional Values of (juniperpublishers.com)