From horse food to superfood: The rise of Kulthi in India

Horse gram, known as kulthi, gahat, hurali, kollu, or Madras gram, is one of India’s oldest pulses. It was traditionally used as fodder for horses, with limited use in kitchens. The hardy legume is now rapidly gaining recognition as a nutrient-rich superfood with culinary and medicinal value.

The pulse is mentioned in the Rigveda (around 1500-1200 BCE) as 'khatakula', while the later Yajurveda refers to it as 'kulattha', the more common word used today.

Originally native to South India and parts of tropical Asia, kulthi thrives in warm, dry climates and poor soils that would challenge many other crops. Its high drought resistance and ability to grow with limited inputs made it a dependable food and feed crop in semi-arid and rain-fed regions.

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From dal to wellness

Though horse gram was traditionally valued more as animal feed, it has also been part of local diets in many regions of India. They include the Himalayan hills of Uttarakhand, where dishes like Pahadi Ras (a lentil broth) are consumed for warmth and strength, and the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu, where kollu dishes are household staples.

Today, horse gram is increasingly celebrated as a superfood because it is high in plant-based protein and dietary fibre, rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, and essential amino acids, and low in fat.

It is also rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and micronutrients compared with many other pulses, according to the Indian Institute of Pulses Research.

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Health advocates and Ayurveda practitioners also support its medicinal properties. It is traditionally used to help digestion, manage blood sugar, and prevent kidney stones due to its diuretic properties.

This shift from “poor man’s pulse” to “nutritional powerhouse” is now playing out in urban kitchens and health-food markets, with consumers embracing horse gram dal, soups, sprouts, chutneys, and even salads as part of balanced diets.

Value-addition and exports

Unlike more mainstream pulses, horse gram was for decades sold mostly as unbranded dal in village markets or through local wholesalers. Today, it is increasingly marketed in packaged, branded formats by organic and health-food companies.

Farmers and producer companies are also creating value-added products beyond whole dal, like sprouted horse gram for salads and snacks, horse gram flour and mixes, and ready-to-cook soups for urban markets.

Such products, often organic and locally sourced, command premium pricing and connect traditional agriculture with modern food trends.

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India is a leading producer and major exporter of horse gram, with Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Canada among the top buyers. While pulses are typically exported in bulk, there’s growing interest in packaged and speciality formats in overseas health food segments.

Exporters emphasise quality through machine-cleaned, stone-free consignments that meet global standards, supporting both traditional uses in diaspora communities and new demand from health-conscious consumers abroad.

Kulthi farming

Horse gram cultivation spans much of the Indian subcontinent, but it is especially widespread in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Maharashtra, besides Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.

It prefers well-drained, fertile soils but will also grow in poor, marginal lands with minimal rainfall. This is a key reason why the pulse has remained vital in traditional farming systems. The crop is sown mostly with the onset of the monsoon (between July and October) and harvested about 90 to 120 days later, making it suitable for short-duration rotations in rice-based and dryland cropping systems.

Historically, horse gram’s cultivation area fluctuated with seasonal rains and market preferences for other pulses. Government data from past planning periods showed over 10 lakh hectares under kulthi cultivation in the 1990s.

Increasing awareness of its health benefits, climate-resilient traits, and integration into nutrition programs may encourage wider planting, particularly in dryland and millet-friendly districts.

Horse gram’s transformation as a healthy food rests on science and tradition. Its rich nutrient composition, combined with low glycemic index and antioxidant load, makes it ideal for modern diets, focusing on protein, fibre, and metabolic health. In an era of rising lifestyle diseases, its ancient roots in holistic diets resonate with health seekers.

From humble horse food to a pulse with global potential, kulthi’s journey reflects India’s rediscovery of forgotten crops that are not just sustainable and resilient, but also deeply nutritious.

(Riya Singh is a Ranchi-based journalist who writes on environment, farming, sustainability, startups, & women empowerment)

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