Lauki aur Chana Dal/ Bottle Gourd and Split Chick Peas Curry

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Curry has to be lip-smacking good. When I first tried bottle gourd though, I did not get that impression. The decision was instant to never try it again. Then something wonderful happened, and I had some exquisitely- made lauki aur chana dal. Well, not exquisite because it was too salty, but the potential with this vegetable was clear. I did not lose any time. I bought some bottle gourd and made some myself. Yum! Light, delectable, easy dish, I should say. I read some recipes online and checked with friends who have cooked them before and I knew what I had to do. The curry is so good, that if you are not careful, you will never get to eat it with rotis or rice because you would already have had it as soup. Mmm…!



I am kind of enjoying the vegetarian dishes I am trying these days. Next in line is something to do with spinach and hopefully it will turn out well. Other than food, I am still waiting for spring, and in the mean time, I am tinkering with craft projects like making gunny bags, as you can see in the second picture. I have totally lost it! Over the weekend, I moseyed around some culinary stores like Crate and Barrel , and got an eyeful of designs, textures and possibilities for photography. How far I will succeed in transitioning this idea from my mind to my computer has yet to be seen. While I try and grasp my fingers around these trivial things, you make some curry and enjoy it with warm rice or hot rotis.





Ingredients:
Bottle Gourd – 1 small (about 3 cups when chopped)
Chana Dal - ½ cup (soaked for 2 hours)
Oil – 1 Tbspn
Asafoetida (Hing) – a pinch
Cumin Seeds – ½ tspn
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tspn
Onions - 1 medium chopped fine
Green Chilies - 4 chopped
Tomato - 1 or 2 chopped (depending on the kind of tomato. If it’s Roma then use 2 and plum tomato on the vine use just 1)
Coriander Powder – 2 tspn
Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Coriander Leaves – a small bunch
Garam Masala – ½ tspn
Lemon Juice of ½ a lemon
Method:
1. Clean and cook chopped bottle gourd and chana dal in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Pressure cookers differ, so make sure you cook the dal so that it retains it’s shape .
2. Heat oil in a pot which can hold all the curry. Start by adding asafetida and then splutter the cumin seeds. Follow these with onions and green chilies.
3. Once the onions are translucent, add turmeric, coriander powder and chili powder. Fry until you get the cooked aroma of the powder, about a minute of frying should do.
4. Add tomatoes and sauté. Once it’s cooked, about 2 or 3 minutes, add cooked dal and bottle gourd. If you like the texture of this curry to be thick gently mash part of the vegetables and leave the rest to retain its shape.
5. Add water depending on desired consistency.
6. Tip in a ½ tspn of garam masala, mix and garnish with coriander leaves
7. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Contributor: Sunitha