With the arrival of the monsoon, seasonal illnesses like colds, coughs and the flu become more common. Traditionally, many households prepared Hulga Madga, a warm kulith (horse gram) soup believed to help maintain body warmth during the rainy season.
Ingredients:
4 tbsp hulga (horse gram/kulith) flour,
3 to 4 tbsp jaggery,
1 tsp dry ginger powder,
½ tsp black pepper powder,
½ tsp nutmeg-cardamom powder,
2 to 3 cups water,
1 tbsp ghee,
Chopped cashews and almonds (optional)
Preparations
Take the hulga flour in a bowl and gradually add a little water. Mix well to form a smooth, thin paste, ensuring there are no lumps. Set it aside.
Heat 2 to 3 cups of water in a pan. Once it is warm, add jaggery, dry ginger powder and black pepper powder. Stir until the jaggery dissolves completely, then bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the flame to low. Slowly pour the hulga flour paste into the boiling liquid while stirring continuously. This helps prevent lumps and creates a smooth consistency.
Let the mixture cook on a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. As it cooks, the soup will gradually thicken. Once ready, add the nutmeg-cardamom powder and switch off the heat.
Pour the hot Madga into a bowl and top it with a spoonful of ghee. You can also garnish it with chopped cashews and almonds for extra flavour and richness.