Ulavacharu is one of the most celebrated dishes of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Like dal or rasam, Ulavacharu is a thick lentil stew that is made using horse gram. You may be quite familiar with red gram, black gram and green gram. Horse gram is often given the blind eye. But this humble legume of horse gram is one of the most popular dishes in the states of Andhra and Telangana.
The soup is named after its ingredient – ‘ulavalu’ which means horse gram in Telugu. In traditional Telugu cuisine, ‘Ulavalu’ are some of the most delicious and nutritious food options. ‘Ulavacharu’ is the soup made from these ‘Ulavalu’ which is now becoming the talk of the town.
Traditionally, Ulavacharu was the recipe of south Indian farmers originating from the districts of Krishna and Guntur. Due to its unique taste and innumerable health benefits, the iconic soup is now satisfying taste buds across boundaries. From children to elders ranging all the way from critics to food connoisseurs have fallen in love with Ulavacharu.
In villages, a Ulavacharu paste is made by cooking horse gram for several hours over wood flame. The paste is then used to make Ulavacharu by adding other flavoring ingredients. At homes, it is prepared from soaking horse gram for at least 8 hours in water. It is then pressure cooked and blended into a fine paste. For flavoring, this mixture is further cooked in Indian spices and aromatics like onions, garlic, cumin, tamarind, etc. The final product is a stew that is thick and dense in flavor. It is spicy, tangy, sweet, salty and earthy at the same time. It is usually eaten with hot rice soaked in ghee. It is a one-of-a-kind comfort food for the soul.
Interestingly, the comfort of Ulavacharu does not end there. It is a versatile food that can be made into several other combinations. Ulavacharu biryani has been making headlines for being a strong vegetarian contender to the ever-famous Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani. You can easily make Ulavacharu biryani or Ulavacharu chicken biryani by adding the stew to the marinade of your biryani. As much as we would like to disagree, the taste of Ulavacharu biryani is on par with the iconic Hyderabadi biryani. Try it for yourself.
Horse gram is also a store-house of nutritional elements and benefits. It contains polyphenols, flavonoids and even anti-oxidants that keep your body young and youthful. Horse gram is a great contributor in the treatment of jaundice, kidney stones, asthma, heart ailments, piles, urinary problems and other disorders in your body. A huge credit behind its popularity goes to the health benefits of Ulavacharu. It is the perfect example of locally sourced, indigenous food that is under-rated and plays a major role in the palates and health conditions of people today.
Ulavacharu is an overlooked delicacy of pure Telugu cuisine that deserves paramount praise and attention. It is one of the flag-bearers of the brilliance of traditional Telugu cooking that has made its way across the seven seas. It is a power-packed combination of flavor and nutrition. It contains a lot of protein and serves as a perfect replacement for meat in vegetarians.
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