Kumbalanga (ash gourd) and parippu (lentil) cooked in a spiced coconut sauce is a Kerala style dal served with rice or chapati for lunch or dinner.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Kerala
Servings: 3people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
Pressure Cook
⅔cuptoor dalwashed and soaked for 10 minutes
1medium-sized tomatoes(optional)
1garlic clovesmashed
½teaspoonturmeric powder
1 ½cupwater
salt to taste
For the Coconut Paste
½cupgrated coconut
6 to 8mini shallotspeeled and chopped roughly
1garlic clovesmashed
1teaspoonfennel seeds(you may use cumin seeds instead)
1teaspoonred chilli powder
water to help the grinding process
For the curry
300gramsash gourd(measured ready to cook)
2 to 3 green chilliesslit
a fewcurry leavestorn
water(to cover the vegetable)
salt to taste
For Tempering
1tablespoon coconut oil
½teaspoonmustard seeds
½teaspooncumin seeds(optional)
2dried red chillies
a fewcurry leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Pressure cook or boil the lentils
Add the soaked toor dal, garlic clove, turmeric powder, tomato if using, enough water and salt in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 10 to 15 minutes on medium flame or until the lentils are cooked to soft. You may pot cook the lentils until soft and mushy.
⅔ cup toor dal, 1 medium-sized tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 ½ cup water, salt to taste
Prepare the coconut paste
Add the grated coconut, garlic clove, mini shallots, fennel seeds or cumin seeds, red chilli powder and a little water into a small chutney maker and process to a fine paste.
½ cup grated coconut, 6 to 8 mini shallots, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, water
Prepare curry
Open the pressure cooker (only after it is cooled and pressure released) and transfer the cooked lentils into a deep pot.
Heat that deep pot on low to medium flame and add the chopped ash gourd, green chillies, curry leaves, enough water to cover the vegetable and salt to taste
300 grams ash gourd, 2 to 3 green chillies, a few curry leaves, water, salt to taste
Cover with a lid and cook this on low to medium flame for 10 minutes or until the ash gourd pieces are all cooked through (they should start to look transparent)
Open and add the prepared coconut paste and add more water as required and salt as per taste. Bring this to boil and then switch off.
Prepare the tempering
Heat the coconut oil in a small tadka pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Next, add the cumin seeds (optional) and let them sizzle.
1 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Tear and add the dried red chillies and curry leaves and fry until crisp. Switch off and stir this into the prepared curry.
2 dried red chillies , a few curry leaves
Serve hot Kumbalanga parippu curry with warm rice or ari dosha or chapati.