Ulava Charu
A warming, tangy horse gram broth from the Godavari delta, traditionally cooked in winter to aid digestion and warmth.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 180 kcal
Equipment
- •Pressure cooker
- •Tempering pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- fat
- 6 g
- carbs
- 22 g
- fibre
- 7 g
- protein
- 10 g
- calories
- 180 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pressure cook the soaked horse gram with 700 ml water and turmeric for 4-5 whistles until very soft.
- 2
Let it cool slightly. Mash the cooked horse gram roughly with the back of a ladle, keeping the cooking liquid aside.
- 3
Press the mashed gram through a coarse strainer to extract a thick liquid. Keep the strained cooking liquid too.
- 4
Heat sesame oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and let them crackle.
- 5
Add dried red chillies, crushed garlic and curry leaves. Fry gently until the garlic turns light golden.
- 6
Add chopped onion and cook until see-through. Add chopped tomato and cook until soft.
- 7
Pour in the extracted horse gram liquid and the kept cooking water. Add tamarind pulp and salt.
- 8
Bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until the flavours blend and the soup thickens slightly.
- 9
Taste and adjust the salt and tanginess before turning off the heat.
Chef's tips
Do not throw away the leftover boiled horse gram solids; you can season them separately as a side dish. Soaking the horse gram overnight cuts down cooking time.
Ingredient substitutions
- horse gram → toor dal for a milder, non-traditional variant
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days in a sealed container.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not soaking the horse gram long enough, leading to hard and undercooked gram.
- •Skipping the straining step, which ruins the smooth soup consistency.
Serving suggestions
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