People are really passionate about their home state. Be it politics, people, tourist attractions, cuisine…I have known this about Tamizhnadu and Kerala – the two states that I have a close association with. I also know that Bengalis have great pride in anything related to their state. Recently, I have had occasion to discover this about other states – especially Uttarakhand.
Last year, I posted a few recipes from Uttarakhad – and got ecstatic responses from my students and friends from that state. The remarkable thing is that these people have never responded to any of my other posts. Just goes to show the immense pride people have in their home states!
But more to the point is that I have experimented a lot with Uttarakhad cuisine and have come to love it. In one of my posts, I mentioned horsegram – a lentil widely used  in Kerala (and also in Tamizhnadu). And many Uttarakhandis made it a point to tell me that it is also used in their state. That made me curious – Kerala and Uttarakhand are really far apart. What cultural or other reason could account for this lentil being used in both states? I experimented with some dishes from  using horsegram.  And fell in love with them!

Ingredients
1 cup horsegram (kulthi, kollu, mudhira), soaked overnight
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli paste
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves to garnish
Method
Heat a wok and add the ginger, garlic and chilli pastes
Saute till the raw smell evaporates
Drain the horsegram and add to the spices
Reduce flame to medium and continue to saute for 5 minutes
Add water and salt
Mix well
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or till the horsegram is done
Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves
Serve hot with any Indian breads for a delightful meal
Enjoy!