This Indian Pulse is called Horse Gram in English and even now called Kulthi in Hindi and is still known as 'kuLith' in Konkani. It is boiled and fed to animals used for ploughing the rice fields, like Buffaloes, oxen or even milking cows.(in the Kanara region buffaloes were/are preferred over oxen pair to plough). I believe even now horses are fed this pulse after boiling it thoroughly. British must have observed this and called this pulse 'Horse Gram' In Mangalore/Kerala, Buffaloe race called 'kambaLa' is famous even now. This is grown after the first rice crop an secondary crop like 'Udid dhal' and it's roots produce nourishing mineareals in the soil of the field.
After boiling this pulse, the drained water was used to prepare a soup dish (like 'rasam') by farming community who had buffeloes for ploughing purpose. This soup or broth is called 'kuLta kaat' In Mangalore, there is still a Konkani saying 'Ghodya poilem kuLit'meaning buying Horse Gram before buying the actual Horse (some thing like a stupid move/action). I am unable to paste a picture, but if one googles 'Horse Gram' images, one can see how this gram looks. One Konkani (Kannada script) cook book says that it cures cough, asthma, piles, erodes kidney stones, urinary infection, excessive bleeding during mansturation. Maurice D. Subject: [Goanet] Konkani name for Kulattha To: goanet@lists.goanet.org Message-ID: <bf202eb20904250428m2e49fd4fx52424eb2f61b3...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Dear Maria Josefa, It would be Godialle chonne in Konknni. Godia=horse. I found this from Ms Shilpa Salvi of TSKK--who btw, is a lovely woman. Hope these eamils were of help. Bye now. venantius Goa > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:46:57 -0700 (PDT) > From: Maria Josefa D'Souza <maria...@yahoo.com> Subject: [Goanet] Konkani name for Kulattha > Hi, > ? Would anyone know the Konkani name for? Kulattha ? > Check > http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/herbfinder/h_dolichos.htm