Kulthi (Horse Gram) Dal for Kidney Stones: Fact vs Folk Claim
A relative gets a kidney stone diagnosis and within a day someone in the family is boiling kulthi dal water, convinced it will dissolve the stone before the next scan. Horse gram has a real place in the kitchen and a much more modest place in stone treatment than the folk version claims. Here is both, honestly separated.
In brief
- What it is: horse gram, kulthi dal, a small brown legume common in South Indian and some North Indian kitchens.
- Protein: roughly 7 to 8 g per cooked katori (about 150 g).
- Folk use: kulthi water for kidney stones, passed down for generations.
- Evidence: weak and preliminary; not a replacement for medical stone treatment.
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What horse gram actually is
Horse gram, kulthi dal in Hindi and Urdu, is a small, hard brown legume traditionally used as animal feed in some regions and as a protein-rich human food in others, especially in South India where it appears in sambar, rasam and a distinctive kulthi soup, and in parts of North India mainly as this specific stone-related kadha rather than as a daily dal. It has a slightly earthy, nutty taste and needs longer soaking and cooking than more familiar dals like moong or masoor because of its harder outer coat.
The kidney stone claim, examined
The tradition of drinking water in which kulthi has been boiled, sometimes called kulthi kadha, as a home approach to kidney stones goes back generations in parts of India, and it has attracted some scientific curiosity as a result. Horse gram extract has been tried in small lab and animal experiments on crystal formation, and in a few very small human trials looking at urine measures, with preliminary and mixed results. This is preliminary evidence, not the kind of large, well-controlled human trial that would justify calling kulthi water a treatment for kidney stones, and no major urology guideline recommends it as a substitute for standard stone management.
What this means practically: drinking kulthi water alongside proper medical care, plenty of plain water and any treatment a doctor has prescribed is not harmful for most people and may be a reasonable traditional habit to continue. Treating it as a replacement for imaging, doctor follow-up, or prescribed treatment for an existing stone is where the folk version overreaches.
Ayurvedic and household tradition across parts of India has long used kulthi as a diuretic and stone-related remedy, believed to help “break” stones and support urine flow. This is a long-observed traditional use worth respecting as exactly that: tradition, alongside modern medical stone management, not instead of it.
Proper kidney stones need imaging and fluids first
A genuine kidney stone diagnosis needs an ultrasound or CT scan to confirm size, location and type, since treatment differs enormously depending on these factors; a stone under about 5 mm often passes on its own with high fluid intake, while a larger stone, one causing severe pain, fever, or blocking urine flow, needs medical or surgical treatment. The single most consistently useful home measure for anyone prone to stones, regardless of what else they try, is drinking enough plain water to keep urine pale yellow throughout the day, generally requiring 2.5 to 3 litres in a hot climate for an adult without kidney or heart restrictions.
- Soak 50 g horse gram (kulthi) overnight, about 8 hours, in 300 ml water.
- Drain, add fresh water (400 ml), and boil for 30 to 40 minutes until the water turns a deep brown and the beans soften.
- Strain and drink the water warm as a traditional drink, not a measured remedy; the softened beans can be used separately in a dal or curry.
- Continue alongside, not instead of, plain water intake of 2.5 to 3 litres a day unless a doctor has restricted fluids.
A proper kulthi dal recipe, beyond the stone-water use
Soak 200 g horse gram overnight, then pressure cook with 600 ml water, half a teaspoon turmeric and salt for 4 to 5 whistles until fully soft. Prepare a tempering of 2 tablespoons oil or ghee, a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a pinch of hing, curry leaves, 2 chopped garlic cloves and a chopped tomato, cook until the tomato softens, then pour over the cooked dal and simmer 5 minutes. This gives a filling, protein-dense dal, roughly 7 to 8 g protein per 150 g cooked katori, quite close to moong dal’s protein content and a reasonable addition to a varied vegetarian diet.
Horse gram sprouts, a lesser known option
Sprouted horse gram, soaked for 8 hours then left to sprout for a further 24 to 36 hours in a damp cloth, is eaten in some South Indian households as a salad or light snack, seasoned with lemon, chopped onion and a pinch of chaat masala. Sprouting slightly increases certain nutrient availability and softens the bean’s texture further, though it should still be lightly steamed rather than eaten fully raw, since raw legume sprouts can carry bacteria that cooking reduces.
Myth: kulthi water dissolves stones the way a medicine would
This is the overreach worth correcting plainly. No food or drink, kulthi water included, has been shown to dissolve an existing kidney stone the way a targeted medical treatment or procedure can. The evidence is limited, and at most it hints at a possible effect on new crystal formation or on very small stones, not on breaking apart a stone already sitting in the kidney. Anyone with a confirmed stone larger than a few millimetres, or one causing pain, needs a doctor’s assessment regardless of any home drink.
Before you try it
If a doctor has confirmed a small stone and advised watchful waiting with high fluid intake, adding kulthi water as a traditional daily habit alongside that plan is a reasonable, low-risk choice. It should never delay a scheduled scan or a follow-up appointment.
Severe flank or back pain, especially if it comes in waves, blood in the urine, fever with stone-related pain, or an inability to pass urine are all signs needing urgent medical attention, not a home remedy. People with existing kidney disease should check with a doctor before increasing horse gram or its water regularly, since its protein and mineral content may need to be adjusted for their specific kidney function. Stone type also matters here: imaging usually shows whether a stone is calcium oxalate, uric acid or another kind, and someone prone to uric acid stones may be told to keep overall protein, including dals like this one, moderate rather than generous, so it is worth asking a doctor which type applies before making kulthi water a daily habit. Anyone with a known allergy to legumes should avoid it. Pregnant women can generally eat horse gram as a cooked dal in normal portions, though concentrated kulthi water as a specific remedy is best discussed with a doctor first given the limited safety research available.
Buying and storing horse gram
Horse gram is sold dried in most grocery stores that carry a range of dals and legumes, sometimes labelled kulthi, hurali or muthira depending on the region. Buy from a store with good turnover rather than a jar that has sat on a shelf for a long time, since older dried legumes take noticeably longer to soften even after a full soak. Store in an airtight container away from moisture, where it keeps well for up to a year.
Frequently asked questions
Does kulthi dal dissolve kidney stones?
No food or drink, kulthi water included, has been shown to dissolve a stone already in the kidney. Early lab and small human studies hint it might affect new crystal formation or help very small stones pass, but that’s preliminary. A confirmed stone still needs imaging and a doctor’s plan.
How do I make kulthi water for kidney stones?
Soak 50 g kulthi overnight in 300 ml water, drain, add 400 ml fresh water and boil for 30 to 40 minutes until the water turns deep brown. Strain and drink about 150 to 200 ml warm, once a day. Use the softened beans in a dal.
How much kulthi water can I drink in a day?
The traditional amount is around 150 to 200 ml once a day. There’s no researched safe upper limit, so drinking more isn’t better. Plain water matters far more: 2.5 to 3 litres a day in hot weather unless a doctor has restricted fluids.
What is horse gram called in Urdu and other languages?
Horse gram is kulthi or kulath in Urdu and Hindi, hurali in Kannada and muthira in Malayalam. It’s a small, hard, flat brown legume, sold dried at shops that stock a wide range of dals.
Can a kidney stone pass on its own?
Stones under about 5 mm often pass on their own with plenty of fluid, though it can be painful. Larger stones, or ones causing fever, severe pain or blocked urine, usually need medical or surgical treatment. Only a scan tells you which kind you have.
When is kidney stone pain an emergency?
Go urgently if you have severe flank or back pain that comes in waves, fever or shivering with stone pain, blood in the urine, or you can’t pass urine at all. A blocked, infected kidney can turn serious within hours, so this isn’t one to manage with home drinks.
Can I drink kulthi water instead of taking my stone medicine?
No. Use it alongside your treatment, never in place of it. Don’t stop or change anything your doctor prescribed, and don’t let a home drink delay a scheduled scan or follow-up. If you want to add kulthi water, just tell your doctor.
Is horse gram safe if I have kidney disease?
Ask your doctor first. Kulthi is high in protein and minerals, and with reduced kidney function those amounts may need limiting. Don’t start daily kulthi water on your own if you have chronic kidney disease.
Is horse gram OK for uric acid or gout?
Keep portions moderate. Like other dals, horse gram contains purines, and people prone to gout or uric acid stones are often told to keep protein moderate. Ask your doctor which stone type you have before making kulthi a daily habit.
Can I have kulthi water during pregnancy?
Horse gram cooked as a normal dal is generally fine in pregnancy. Concentrated kulthi water taken as a remedy hasn’t been studied for safety there, so discuss it with your doctor before starting.
Does kulthi dal help with weight loss?
It can fit a weight-conscious diet like any other dal, because it’s filling, protein-rich and low in fat. It won’t cause weight loss on its own, though. That comes from your overall eating over weeks, at a steady 0.5 to 1 kg a week.
How much protein is in kulthi dal?
Roughly 7 to 8 g in a cooked katori of about 150 g, close to moong dal. That makes it a useful protein source in a vegetarian diet.
Why does horse gram need soaking?
Its outer coat is much harder than moong or masoor. An overnight soak of about 8 hours cuts cooking time a lot and makes the dal easier to digest. Even then, it needs 4 to 5 pressure cooker whistles.
Can I eat horse gram sprouts raw?
Steam them lightly first. Raw legume sprouts can carry bacteria, and cooking reduces that risk. For pregnant women, older people and anyone with low immunity, sprouts should always be cooked.
How long does dried horse gram keep?
Up to a year in an airtight container, away from moisture. Buy it from a shop with good turnover, since old stock takes much longer to soften even after soaking.
For a related winter green with its own kidney-relevant caution, see our bathua guide and its oxalate warning. This article is part of our Desi Remedies coverage of traditional foods examined honestly.