Macrotyloma uniflorum is one of the lesser known beans. It is used as horse feed and occasionally for human consumption and in Ayurvedic cuisine. Horse gram is grown in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, and West Bengal in India, as well as in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and elsewhere. It is consumed as a whole seed, as sprouts, or as whole meal in India, popular in many parts of India. Medical uses of these legumes have been discussed. Horse gram and moth bean are legumes of the tropics and subtropics, grown mostly under dry-land agriculture. The chemical composition is comparable with more commonly cultivated legumes. Like other legumes, these are deficient in methionine and tryptophan, though horse gram is an excellent source of iron and molybdenum. Comparatively, horse gram seeds have higher trypsin inhibitor and hemagglutinin activities and natural phenols than most bean seeds. Natural phenols are mostly phenolic acids, namely, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, syringic and sinapic acids. Though both require prolonged cooking, a soak solution has been shown to reduce cooking time and improve protein quality. Moth bean is mostly consumed as dhal or sprouts.
In India, it is also known as gahat, muthira, kulath, or kulthi. It is used to make popular dishes like Chana, Chholey, kulitan saaru, kulitan upkari, kulitan ghassi, and idli like preparation called kulitan sannan.
In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, horse gram is prescribed for jaundice or as a diuretic, and as part of a weight-loss diet. It is considered helpful for iron deficiencies. Ulavacharu is popular dish in Andhra Pradesh, it is served with boiled rice in most of the Telugu-speaking people's weddings and ceremonies.
In Darjeeling and Sikkim, horse gram is considered a medicinal food. It is given to children suffering from mumps. Water in which gahat is soaked is taken by people suffering from kidney stones in the belief that this dissolves the crystals. Gahat's use is specially reserved for the cold winters, when its heat-producing properties are most useful.
In Kerala, horse gram, in Malayalam which almost sounds like കുതിര, is used in special kinds of dishes.
In Tamil Nadu, horse gram is commonly used in Tamil dishes, including kollu chutney, kollu porial, kollu avial, kollu sambar, and kollu rasam.
In Maharashtra and Goa, horse gram is often used to make aamati, kulith usal, pithla and shengule/shevanti.
In Karnataka cuisine, ಹುರಳಿಸಾರು, ಹುರಳಿ is a main ingredient. Hurali is also used in preparations such as usali, chutney, basaaru, and upsaaru or upnesaru.
In South Canara region of Karnataka, in Tulu, it is also called kudu.
Gahat or kulath is a major ingredient in the food of Pahari region of northern India.
In Himachal Pradesh, kulath is used to make khichdi. In Uttarakhand, it is cooked in a round iron saute pan to prepare ras, a favorite of most Kumaonis. In Garhwal region, another more elaborate dish is phanu which is made in a kadhai with roughly ground gahat boiled over several hours. Towards the end, some finely chopped greens are added to complete the dish. Served with boiled rice, jhangora
Horse gram seed contains carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron and calories as well as vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin and niacin per 100 grams of dry matter. Its nutritional content is partly dependent on soil conditions and the weather. Its less appealing taste has led it to be not commonly eaten.
Medicinal uses
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have found that unprocessed raw horse gram seeds not only possess antihyperglycemic properties, but also have qualities which reduce insulin resistance. The scientists made a comparative analysis between horse gram seeds and their sprouts and found that the seeds have greater beneficial effects on the health of hyperglycemic individuals. The majority of antioxidant properties are confined to the seed coat and its removal would not do any good. Raw horse gram seed is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and proteins, major antioxidants present in fruits and other food materials. The seed has the ability to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia by slowing down carbohydrate digestion and reducing insulin resistance by inhibiting protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1 beta enzyme.
