Horse gram slow-cooked until soft and then tempered with smoking mustard oil, garlic and cumin — a deeply earthy, hearty dal eaten in the Kumaon hills. Gahat is one of the hardest lentils to cook but produces an intensely flavoured dal unlike any other.
Ingredients
1 cup gahat (horse gram — also called kulith in Uttarakhand; available at specialty Indian stores and online)
4 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp mustard oil
6 garlic cloves — coarsely crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilli
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 onion — finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Soak the gahat: Wash 1 cup horse gram in several changes of water. Soak in 4 cups water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Horse gram is an extremely hard lentil — adequate soaking is essential to reduce the very long cooking time.
Pressure cook for a long time: Drain soaked gahat. Pressure cook with 4 cups fresh water and turmeric on high for first whistle then medium for 15 to 18 whistles. Horse gram takes far longer to cook than any other lentil — this extended cooking is not unusual. Open after pressure releases and test — press one lentil, it should mash completely. If not, close and cook 5 more whistles.
Mash partially: Once cooked, stir vigorously and mash about half the gahat against the side of the pot. This creates a thick, textured dal — half mashed, half whole. Add salt.
Heat mustard oil until smoking: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a pan until smoking, then reduce to medium.
Add garlic first: Add the coarsely crushed garlic to the smoking hot oil. Fry stirring for 30 to 40 seconds until golden and fragrant. In Uttarakhand, garlic is a primary flavour in gahat dal — used more generously than in most other regional dals.
Add cumin, dried chilli and asafoetida: Add cumin seeds — wait to crackle. Add dried red chilli and asafoetida. Stir 15 seconds.
Add ginger and spice powders: Add ginger paste — stir 1 minute. Turn to low. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder — stir 2 minutes.
Combine dal and tadka: Pour the cooked gahat dal into the pan. Stir well. Simmer together on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the flavours blend thoroughly.
Garnish and serve: Scatter coriander leaves. Serve with mandua roti or wheat roti. The gahat dal is thick, dark-coloured and intensely flavoured.
Note: Gahat Ki Dal is one of the most distinctly Pahadi preparations and one that sets Uttarakhand apart from any other region. Horse gram (gahat/kulith) is a hardy legume that grows in the most difficult hill conditions — poor soil, minimal water, extreme temperatures. It is considered medicinal in Ayurveda and traditional practice — known for breaking kidney stones and benefiting urinary health. Gahat dal with mandua roti is the most well-known mountain meal of Kumaon.