Kollu Podi Recipe (Ulava Podi or Horse Gram Masala Recipe)

Kollu Podi or Ulava Podi or Horse Gram Masala recipe is one of the most yummy main course items made using Horse gram as the main ingredient.

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Horse Gram is called as Kollu locally in TamilNadu, Ulavalu in Telugu, and it is called Kulthi in Hindi.

This legume has many wonderful health benefits as you might know already. Rich in iron, calcium, it also warms up our body on cold days. It is also said to lessen the kidney stones problem.

Horse gram’s weight-loss inducing ability is the most well-known benefit and so it is used widely by people aiming to lose weight.

This Kollu Podi recipe is from my mother-in-law who makes it so deliciously and is a favorite at home.

Kollu Podi recipe

Ingredients

Version 1 : If you have more time

1. Horse Gram – 1 cup (kollu/kulthi/ulavalu)
2. Coriander Seeds – 3 tbsp
3. Red Chilies – 2
4. Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp (Jeera)
5. Curry leaves – a few
6. Onion – 1 small
7. Garlic – 5 cloves from a small pod
8. Salt – as needed

Version 2 : Quick 5 minute recipe

1. Horse gram – 1 cup (kollu/kulthi/ulavalu)
2. Onion – 1 small
3. Garlic – 5 cloves from a small pod
4. Coriander powder – 2 tsp
5. Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
6. Salt – as needed

Method

• Wash and soak the horse gram for 8 hours.
• Cut onion and garlic into coarse pieces.
• Pressure cook the soaked horse gram for 5 to 6 whistles. After steam is released, check if the gram is soft or else you can cook it for some more time.
• Drain the water and let the gram cool down. Do not waste this water, you can make nutritious horse gram soup/kollu rasam/ulava charu with it.
• If you are planning to make Kollu rasam/Ulava charu/Horse gram soup with this cooking water, please keep a tablespoon of boiled horse gram also aside to be used for that recipe.
• If you are using coriander seeds and red chilies, instead of coriander powder plus red chili powder, you should dry roast the seeds for 1 minute along with the chilies. Let them cool down and grind them to a fine powder.
• Now grind the horse gram coarsely along with about 1 tsp or more table salt according to your taste.
• Add the onion, garlic pieces, coriander and chili powder to this paste and grind once again just for 30 seconds. Now Kollu podi is ready!
• Add Gingelly oil (sesame oil) or ghee to this podi and have it with hot rice/idli/dosa and enjoy!

Also read: How to make Kollu Rasam (Ulava Chaaru / Horse Gram Soup)

Tips:

• • If you like asafoetida (hing/inguva podi) taste, you can add a pinch of it while cooking the horse gram.
  • Use the dark brown water which is left in the cooker after you cooked the horse gram to make yummy horse gram soup/rasam/charu. It is delicious and nutritious.
  • If you like it a bit wet while having this podi with rice, leave a few drops of water when you drain the cooked gorse  gram.
  • For freshness when I have the time, I use fresh coriander seeds to make the powder. If time is less, I use store-bought coriander powder.
  • My favorite brands for sesame oil and horse gram are Organic Horse Gram (Indian Kulthi) and Spectrum Organic Sesame Oil

• All my recipes are mild spicy recipes. So, if you want more spice, you can add green chilies instead of red ones or increase the red chili amount.
• Some people like having this Kollu podi and rice with butter too.

Also read: Capsicum Masala Recipe

Also read: Spicy Capsicum masala curry

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