Kulottokolai – Overnight Soaked Horse Gram Seeds Water
I must say my parents were very much Bangal in their food habits and cooking style. However, they quickly adopted good culinary traditions of the Ghoti community after learning the nutritional value of dishes like Gota Sheddho prepared during Sheetal Shasthi puja.
Though our family did not follow strict ritualistic food customs, I still remember how we enjoyed gota sheddho in winter when fresh baby vegetables were available. My mother used to soak kulotthokalai and whole green mung dal on Saturday nights. Sunday breakfast then consisted of a big bowl of gota sheddho and gola bhat made from overcooked red rice.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Because I often avoided using school washrooms, my mother worried about my health. So on holidays she would soak kulottho overnight and make me drink the soaked water on an empty stomach in the morning to maintain good renal function. The soaked lentils were later used in curry or dal for that day’s meal.
Gota Sheddho – Traditional Bengali Winter Dish
In Bengal, Sheetal Shasthi puja is observed on the sixth day of the bright fortnight of Magha month, one day after Saraswati puja. A special dish called Gota Sheddho is prepared on the evening of Panchami and eaten the next day when cooled or “sheetal”.
This ritual is performed mainly by Bengali mothers wishing for the long life and health of their children. The dish consists of whole vegetables cooked with soaked legumes.
Ingredients
- Kulthi (horse gram)
- Whole green mung dal
- Jujube (topa kul)
- Drumsticks (sojne danta)
- White broad beans (sada sheem)
- Baby potatoes
- Baby brinjals
- Green tomatoes
- Arbi root (gati kochu)
- Whole peas with pods
- Sea salt (saindhob labon)
Method
- Wash and soak the legumes in enough water for at least 6 hours.
- Do not discard the soaking water.
- Boil the legumes first.
- Add vegetables gradually based on their cooking time.
- Cook for about 20–30 minutes on medium heat.
- The vegetables should be cooked but not mushy.
- Turn off heat and drizzle raw mustard oil on top.
Horse Gram – Kulottho Kalai
Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) is known as the poor man's pulse in India. It is consumed as dal, sprouts, soup or medicinal preparations.
The plant is a twining herb cultivated for both food and fodder. Its seeds are often parched and boiled before consumption.
Horse gram contains polyphenols, flavonoids, proteins, iron and molybdenum. It also has antioxidant properties and may help regulate blood sugar levels.
Studies from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology found that raw horse gram seeds possess anti-hyperglycemic properties and may reduce insulin resistance.
Therapeutic Evaluation
Clinical studies on patients with urolithiasis showed that kulatha preparations helped relieve pain, burning urination and supported lithotriptic and diuretic activity.
What We Eat, Why We Eat
In earlier times, people maintained health through food traditions and seasonal rituals. Village communities relied on home remedies using spices such as pepper, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and tulsi.
Traditional physicians used plants and natural substances to treat ailments long before modern clinical validation became common.
Regional Culinary Uses of Horse Gram
- Andhra Pradesh: Ulavacharu (horse gram soup) is a popular ceremonial dish.
- Odisha: Horse gram flour is consumed during Pana Sankranti after offering it to Tulsi.
- Kerala: Muthira upperi or stir-fried horse gram is a home remedy for high blood pressure.
- Tamil Nadu: Kollu is used in rasam, chutney, poriyal and sambar.
- Karnataka: Hurali saaru and hurali chutney are common dishes.
- Maharashtra and Goa: Kulith is used in curries, soups and laddus.
- Himachal Pradesh: Kulath is used in khichdi.
- Uttarakhand: Ras and phanu are traditional dishes made with horse gram.
Doshic Actions in Ayurveda
- Lithotriptic
- Lipolytic
- Diuretic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Analgesic
- Eye tonic
- Laxative
- Wormicidal
- Vata pacifier
Ayurvedic Remedies for Weight Loss
- Consume softly boiled horse gram (25 g) morning and evening.
- Take buttermilk and barley to reduce body heat.
- Traditional rainwater and turmeric mixture is sometimes recommended in folk medicine.
Home Remedy for Cold and Cough
Soaked horse gram is cooked with salt, jaggery and pepper. Ghee and coconut are added with curry leaf and cumin seasoning. The warm preparation is believed to help relieve chronic cold and cough.
Pharmacotherapeutic Uses
- Rheumatoid arthritis – horse gram soup and topical application.
- Chronic cough – horse gram ghee preparations.
- Urinary calculi – decoction of horse gram.
- Amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea – decoction with asafoetida.
Traditional Health Knowledge
Local Health Traditions (LHT) represent community-based knowledge practiced by village healers, midwives, herbal practitioners and household caregivers.
Alongside these folk practices, classical medical systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Tibetan medicine developed sophisticated theoretical foundations documented in ancient texts such as Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita.
These traditions illustrate how food, medicine, environment and cultural knowledge were historically interconnected in Indian society.
