On a bright sunny winter Sunday mood for Gahat ki Daal and Bhaat (steamed rice) was all staged by the weather, in heavy traditional cast iron pot daal was stewed with aromatic ginger, garlic and herbs chopped up in a haze, spoonful of colored flavors known as spices were thrown in and finally some rice flour paste to thicken the curry, then began the trial of patience of our growling and howling stomachs, curry is slow cooked for quite some time for the flavors to develop and also to tease our senses with the alluring aroma of it. And at last time for the sizzling melodrama of Indian kitchen – tadka (tempering), with a ladle full of ghee, cumin, and herbs I waited for the seeds to do the little crackling performance and finally grace the curry with the tadka.
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Pahadi Gahat/Kulath Ki Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Gahat / Kulath / Horsegram
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated
- 3 – 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp rice flour mixed with ¼ Cup water to make paste
For tempering
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp Jumbu a local herb, optional to add
- 1 tsp Gandherin a local herb, optional to add
Instructions
- Clean, wash and soak dal in water for 1 hour.
- In a pressure cooker add dal with 4 Cup water, green chili, grated ginger, garlic, salt, red chili and turmeric powder. Give it a nice stir. Close the lid of pressure cooker ( buy it here) and place it’s weight on.
- Cook dal in pressure cooker over low heat until you hear 3 – 4 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the pressure cooker and check dal for doneness.
- Now in a heavy bottomed saucepan ( buy it here) transfer dal, add jumbo, gandherin if you are using along with rice paste. Stir nicely and let dal simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stirring ocassionally and gently mash dal once with back of the spoon to thicken it.
- This way dal is thickened and flavor of herbs are infused well in dal.
- For tempering the dal, heat ghee in a small tadka pan ( buy it here) add cumin seeds once they crackle add asafoetida, immediately add this tempering over the dal and mix nicely.
- Serve Pahadi Gauhat ki Dal with steamed rice.
5 comments
Beautifully put…
Ghaute-k Daau as we call it kumaoni!!
Beautifully penned. Loved the pictures.
Can you please put a picture of the pahadi spices jambhu , gadraiyein please?
Amazing and simple recipe
superb.. need more recipes like this
thanks. I am so happy you like it.