Gahat-Ke-Dubke/गहत के ड़ुब्के (Thick Broth Of Gahat with Spicy Dumplings)

Gahat-ke-Dubke

Gahat-ke-Dubke with Bathua-Raita and Palak-ka-Kapa

Gahat is grown from hills of Himalayan range to south of India Tamil Nadu. Its botanical name is Macrotyloma Uniflorum.  Kulthi / Hulga / Kuleeth /Hurali / Horse gram / Madras gram are the few common names of Gahat.

It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for treating numerous health disorders including rheumatism, worm, conjunctivitis and piles. Gahat have astringent and diuretic properties and is believed to be beneficial for treating kidney stones, help to control various menstrual problems, reducing flatulence, for treating peptic ulcer, to lower cholesterol levels, helps to reduce excessive weight, controlling fever, for extracting phlegm, helpful for keeping the body warm during winter.

Well now a day we speak of health benefit and nutritional values but in good old days when people used to have this legume in Kumaon in two different ways. It can be cooked after soaking or without soaking, either as whole / powder or paste. All preparations are delectable and are cooked throughout the year in hilly regions of India. The reason behind this is, it is widely cultivated in Himalayan range, provides the much needed heat in cold climate of Kumaon and is highly nutritive. In my earlier blog I have written about a supremely tasty preparation called Ras which is made in winters. Gahat ke dubke is a thick broth of the paste of Gahat with dumplings of spicy Gahat. It is taken with steamed rice/Mandira (Barnyard millet/Mandira/Bhagar).

Folklores say that in earlier days when dynamite was not available to villagers for breaking the rocks they used to boil Gahat and pour the boiling water of Gahat in the crevices of rocks. Twelve hours alter the rock developed big cracks and thus easy to breakdown. How far there is truth in this folk I do not know but this much I know that it is used to break the stone of kidney. I can vouch the veracity of this concoction as the kidney stone cure. My husband’s kidney stone was broken to small pieces and thus got flushed out by taking hot soup of Gahat.

Nutritional fact for 100 gm of Gahat/Kuleeth/Hulga:

Cal: 321

Moisture: 12 gm.

Proteins: 22gm.

Fat: 0 gm.

Fiber: 5gm.

Carbohydrates: 57gm

Minerals: 3gm.

Calcium: 287 mg.

Phosphorus: 311mg.

Iron: 7mg.

Preparation Time: 20 min (Soaking time not included)

Cooking Time: 45-60-min

Servings: 8 large servings

Ingredients Required For making Gahat Ke Dubke:

• 100 gm Gahat
• 4-5 Cloves of Garlic (Optional)
• 1inch piece Ginger
• 2-3 Green chilies
• 1 Pinch of Asafoetida
• 2 teaspoon of Atta (Whole wheat flour)
• 1 Teaspoon Red chili powder or to taste
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh coriander leafs
• 1Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2-3 whole Red chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 10ml. cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

• 1/2Teaspoon Red Chili Powder (optional)
• I teaspoon Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2Teaspoon Cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 2-3 Whole Red chilies
• 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Coriander leafs

Directions For Making Gahat-Ke-Dubke:

• Clean Gahat and wash nicely.
• Soak in water for 5-6 hrs.
• Drain the water and wash in running water.
• Take 1/4^th of the soaked Gahat and grind then coarsely.

Coarsely Ground Gahat

• Chop garlic and grate ginger.
• Wash and chop coriander and green chilies finely.
• Mix:
• Coarsely ground paste of Gaht
• Green chilies
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Chopped Coriander 
• Chopped Green chilies
• 1/4Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Atta
• Salt
• Take 2-3 ml. oil in a wok and cook the mixture with continuous stirring till it changes the color and becomes thick enough to be made to balls.

Coarsely ground gahat cooked with spices

• Cool the cooked mixture and make small balls and keep aside.

Balls of Cooked coarsely Gahat

• Make fine paste of the remaining Gahat.

Fine Paste of Gahat

• In a thick bottom wok take 2-3 ml. of oil and heat it.
• When the oil is hot add:
• 1/2Teaspoon cumin seeds
• Asafoetida
• Red chilies (broken to pieces)

Tempering Ready

• When the seeds splutter and the chilies change the color, add:
• Fine paste of Gahat
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Red chili powder to it and bring the flame to low.

Fine paste of Gahat added to Tempering

• Mix nicely and cook for 10 min on low flame with continuous stirring. The paste will become thick and change the color. The cooked paste will start leaving the edges of wok.

Fine paste cooked and ready for water to be added

• Add 200 ml. of water and mix till a smooth mixture is formed.
• Add 200-300 ml. of water and cook on low flame with continuous stirring.

Water added and mixture made to lumpless mixture

• When the mixture comes to boil add the balls of coarse paste of Gahat. Bring the flame to high and turn the balls in the broth nicely. Make sure the balls do not break.
• Bring the flame to low, cover the wok and cook for 10 min. with intermittent stirring delicately.
• Add water to bring the broth to the consistency you want and cook for another 2-3 min. on high flame.

Ball of Gahat added to boiling gahat paste solution

• Heat ghee in a pan and to the hot ghee add:
• Cumin seeds
• Red chilies
• 1/2Teaspoon Red chili powder (Optional)
• Asafoetida
• When the seeds splutter, the chilies become darker in color seasonings ready. Pour the mixture over the Gahat-Ke-Dubke.

Gahat dubke with Seasoning

• Remove the cooked Gahat- ke-Dubke in a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leafs.
• Enjoy Gahat-Ke-Dubke with steamed rice or Mandira ka bhat.

Gahat-ke-Dubke

Tips:

• The paste for Balls should be coarse not roughly ground.
• Do not add too much water while grinding the soaked Gahat. Add in small proportions so that the coarsely ground paste as well as the finely ground paste is thick.
• While stirring after adding the Gahat balls stir with light hand so that the balls do not break.
• To avoid the Dubke to stick at the bottom use either non-stick wok or while stirring let the ladle go till the bottom of the wok.
• Check the degree of hotness of the chilies before adding.
• While adding water to cooked fine paste of Gaht to make the lump less mixture you can switch off the gas and once the mixture is formed start cooking again.

Suggested Variations:

• While tempering Gandrainy a spice of immense medicinal value can be added along with rest of the spices before adding the fine paste.
• Red chili powder can be replaced with green chili paste.