We tried Gahat Dal Ke Parathe at a thali place in Mussoorie that served Garhwali/Pahadi vegetarian delicacies and instantly fell in love with it. Back home, I tried making these and they turned out great. The legume is a staple cattle food, especially fed to race horses, which is why the name Horse Gram. In other parts of India, this dal is also known as Kulith.
Coming to the benefits of this miracle legume, it’s an excellent source of protein, calcium and fibre, found to be beneficial in the treatment of kidney stones. Apart from that, a great food for ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and obesity, amongst others. The legumes are also low in fat but full of antioxidants. Since horse gram is known to produce heat in the body, it’s best to consume during winters and limit (or avoid) if you suffer from hyper acidity and during pregnancy please consult a doctor.
INGREDIENTS – DOUGH
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Ghee
1 Tsp Salt
Water as required
Ghee to drizzle over Parathas as required
INGREDIENTS – STUFFING
2 Cups Horse Gram (Kulith/Gahat)
1 Finely Chopped Onion
1 Finely Chopped Green Chilli
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Tsp Asafoetida
1 Tsp Carrom Seeds
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Pepper Powder
1 Tsp Aamchur Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala
Salt as per taste
SERVING SUGGESTION
– Kadhi or Boondi/Vegetable Raita or Plain Beaten Yogurt
– Achaar (Pickle)
– Freshly Chopped Onion with a squeeze of Lemon & Salt
– Butter
PREPARATIONS
- Wash and soak Horse Gram overnight for at least 6-8 hours. I left it overnight.
- Next morning, which is the day of making the parathas, drain the water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles on medium high with a pinch of salt. Switch off and keep aside. Once the pressure settles, open and check. If it is not cooked well, give 1-2 more whistles. Now strain the horse gram but do not discard the water. Save it and use it as stock or make Konkani Kulitha Saaru with it.
- Keep the dal aside. Let’s make the dough.
METHOD – DOUGH
- In a deep bowl, add Whole Wheat Flour and mix Salt into this.
- Add Ghee and mix it thoroughly with your hands till the flour starts to clump a little when held tightly in your fist.
- Now start kneading the dough, while adding water little at a time until you get a soft and smooth dough that’s easily rollable, like regular chapati dough.
- If the dough seems stiff, add a teaspoon of water and knead again. If you poured in extra water, then add more flour. Adjust the consistency such that when you press your finger against the dough, it should easily leave an impression.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 mins. You can prepare the stuffing in the meantime.
METHOD – STUFFING
- In a mixture/grinder, add the cooked horse gram and coarsely grind it. A few pulses should get you a granular paste.
- Add the above to a deep bowl.
- To this, add in the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing viz. finely Chopped Onion, finely Chopped Green Chilli, Ginger Garlic Paste, Asafoetida, Carrom Seeds, Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Pepper Powder, Aamchur Powder, Garam Masala and Salt as per taste.
- Mix all of the above, taste test and adjust spices and salt as per taste.
- Now divide the stuffing and make large balls of these. We need the Paratha to have a decent quantity of stuffing in every bite.
- Now take the Paratha Dough you made earlier and knead it again for a minute and divide these into balls too. The size of the dough ball should be smaller than that of the filling ball. This way you will have more stuffing and less flour.
- Now take the dough ball and dust it with a little flour. With the help of your palms, flatten it and with your fingers extend the edges out. The center should be slightly thicker than the ends of the circular disk. The circumference should be around the size of your inner palm.
- Now place the big ball of horse gram masala stuffing in the center. With the help of your fingers, wrap the stuffing with the dough, like you would work on a dumpling and seal it by pressing.
- Roll the Ball in between your palms gently to make it smooth and crease free.
- On a rolling board, add a little flour and place this ball. Flatten gently with your fingers. Make it look like a disk again. This process ensures the stuffing reaches all the corners and also makes it easier to roll them out. Dust both sides with little flour. Now roll this out into a circular shape with a rolling pin, keeping it around 1/2 inch thick.
- Place this paratha on a hot non-stick tava or griddle and cook it on medium-high heat. Flip the Paratha after around a minute and spread some Ghee. Flip again and apply ghee on the other side. Keep flipping and cooking. Your Parathas should start fluffing like a balloon which is a good sign that it’s thoroughly cooked.
- Once cooked, top the Parathas with some butter and serve it with Kadhi, Raita or even Plain Beaten Yogurt will do. A little Achaar (Pickle) and Freshly Chopped Onion with a squeeze of Lemon & Salt will also make a good combination.
- Do comment if you liked this recipe.
