Revisiting Kollu Paruppu ( Horsegram Dal) Cure for common cold?

Cure for common cold? Probably not proven through scientific methods but for me this is the best remedy for cold. Last winter DD2 had a severe cold, not the debilitating kind but the nagging kind which feels like there is a blockage stuck in the chest. Anyway when I was talking to my SIL I mentioned this stubborn cold to her and she immediately suggested kollu paruppu. I had completely forgotten about this amazing dal's healing properties.

I made it the very next day and by then the whole house was having a case of the sniffles. This was the remedy all of us needed. True to it's reputation the cold loosened and all of us were on the mend.

This is one of those dals which are very popular in the Kongu region and each family has their own special way of cooking them.





uncooked and cooked horsegram dal


This is also one of the more popular recipes on this blog. I always get asked where this dal is available. I see them in most Indian Grocery stores in our area. They are called Kulith in Hindi. If you have access to this dal you should cook it more of it during the winter.

Update: After reading the comments I realize I need to explain a bit more about cooking horsegram. Unlike other dals that we are used to horsegram will not cook to mush. You have to use the hand blender, food processor or the regular blender to mush the cooked dal once the seasonings are added. Link to other recipes with horsegram - Other recipes with Horsegram.

Kollu Paruppu
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of horse gram dal picked over and kept soaked for 1/2 - 1 hour
2. 2 tsp of red onions chopped
3. 1 tsp coriander seeds
4. 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
5. a few pepper corns
6. 4 red chilies
7. a sprig of curry leaves
8. 1 tsp of oil
9. salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook the horse gram with 3 times the water for 6-8 whistles.
2. While the dal is cooking heat the oil in the saute pan and when hot add the coriander seeds, pepper corn and cumin seeds. Saute till the seeds turn color.
3. Add in the red chilies and let it saute for a minute. Drop in the curry leaves and give a good mix. Set aside.
4. Saute the onions till they become translucent and start to obtain brown on the sides.
When the dal is cooked pour the sauted spices on top, add salt and with a hand blender coarsely break up the dal.

Best with rice and some ghee.