Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd and Bengal Gram Lentil Curry) is a delicious healthy Indian curry prepared in a pressure cooker and served with rotis or rice!
some rant that you can skip...😁
No matter how much I make myself believe that life is beautiful and generous here in Yanbu, there are moments when I feel WHAT AM I DOING HERE? And trust me... that voice is uncontrollable, it surfaces without any warning and settles as soon as I feed it with some sugary food. I have come to believe that you have to adjust or compromise or do both at some point in life with people, places and things and that makes life a lot more simple and comfortable. Instead of sulking over what I cannot do here in Yanbu, I began to focus on what I can do with what I have and what makes me happy. Cooking and blogging about it has made my life better and made me feel in control of myself again. I may not be contributing to the income, but at least I don't have to be an attention seeker whenever F is home. 🙂
I did not have intentions to make goals starting the new year, it just happens to be a new year. It is just another day. So what are my goals? Lose excess weight healthily. I am sure taking care of this will put everything else in place. I think I have read so much about weight loss all these past months that I am not going to read anymore and imagine losing them while sitting at my desk with my laptop. Conscious, controlled, careful eating with a consistent workout. Period. It's been a week since I started and am already feeling so good. Ever since I channelled my time to blogging and cooking, it has been a lot better and now I will add workouts too. rant over.
So to keep with the healthy vibe I am including a lot of veggies in our diet. This dal recipe is made using split Bengal gram and bottle gourd (chana dal and lauki or kadala parippu and chorakka). F and I love our days in thick consistency so that when you dip pieces of chapati, they should stick to it and not just wet.
Ghiya/Doodhi/Louki/lauki/churanga/chorakka/opo squash/calabash/long melon/ etc. so many different names for this vegetable which is highly nutritious and versatile! Yes, you can make a zillion dishes using bottle gourd, from savoury to sweet! Lauki Paratha, Lauki Kheer, Lauki Dal, Lauki koftas, Lauki Chicken, Louki Gosht, etc.
Lauki stays fresh for more than a week in the fridge. If you want to store peeled and cut lauki, then keep them submerged in water and the fridge. This will keep them fresh for at least 3 days.
How to make Lauki Chana Dal?
The whole process starts and ends in a pressure cooker or instant pot if you will. In case you don't have either, then you can cook it in a pot but it will take forever! The ingredients list provided is written in the order of cooking so if you are not a beginner, then just follow the list and cook. 🙂 But before you start, ensure you have the chana dal soaked for at least 4 hours!
Lauki Chana Dal Recipe | Bottle Gourd and Bengal Gram Dal
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste)
- 3 to 5 green chillies, slit
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ cup chana dal /Bengal gram, washed and soaked for at least 2 hours in lukewarm water and drained
- 2 cups chopped bottle gourd (350 grams)
- 1 cup of water for pressure cooking
- Fistful of chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between hands
- Salt to taste
METHOD
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium flame.
- Add cumin and let it crackle.
- Add the ginger and green chillies and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the onions and sauté till they become translucent.
- Add all the spice powders and fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes soften and the oil start releasing from the onion-tomato masala.
- Add the soaked chana dal, the chopped bottle gourd, salt and water and stir.
- Cover with the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle on a high flame and reduce the flame to medium and cook for two to three more whistles. Do not open until the pressure releases on its own.
- Open the lid and check its consistency and bring it to desired consistency by simmering to make it thick or add more water to make it thin.
- Add the chopped coriander leaves and kasoori methi.
- Serve lauki dal hot with any Indian flatbreads or rice.
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I would love to hear from you. If you have made this recipe then do leave a comment below. If you like this recipe then do share the recipe link on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Follow me on Instagram and mention @butfirstchaai or tag #butfirstchaai so that I can see your creations!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!