Lau Dal

I owe the idea for this recipe to my mother. When I was a kid, my mother often made the Lauki dal at home particularly during the summer months. She used to say, it’s good for the stomach and has a cooling effect. The Lauki dal is a relatively common Bengali dish. There was another dal which was made at home using karela. Truth be told, given its bitter taste, I was not particularly fond of it but we were told it was good for the gut and with all the sweets we used to eat, the karela was a good antidote. As I grew up, I understood the nutrition benefits of both the lauki and the karela as vegetables. It so happens that both the lauki and the karela are made with moong dal. So, I decided to cook the same dal but with both the vegetables together. The bitterness of the karela gets balanced with the sweetness of the lauki so the dal has nice dual taste profile. One tip for the recipe, I have used Radhuni (wild celery seeds) which adds a typical Bengali taste to the dish. Radhuni is used in dishes like Shukto and is part of the famous Bengali Panchphoron mix. If you can’t get hold of the Radhuni, you can substitute it for Cumin seeds instead. On final tip, don’t forget to add one dollop of ghee for that extra flavour. This is one dish which appeals to the entire family and is a staple for the summer months.

Lau Dal

★★ 1.7 from 6 reviews

• Author: Reetika Mitra
• Prep Time: 5 Mins
• Cook Time: 15 Mins
• Total Time: 20 Mins

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Description

The Summer Staple

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Moong Dal (split skinless green gram lentil)
• 1/2 medium sized Lauki (Bottle Gourd), diced into 2 inch pieces
• 1–2 Tej Patta (Bay leaf)
• 2 dry whole Red Chillies
• 12–15 Methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
• 1 pinch + 1/4 Tsp Haldi (Turmeric powder)
• 1/2 Tsp Radhuni (Wild Celery seeds. You may substitute it for cumin seeds, if you cannot get them readily available)
• 1 Tsp Ginger paste
• 4 Green Chillies, slit
• 2 medium sized Karela (Bitter Gourd), sliced into rounds
• A few Moringa Drumsticks, cut smaller pieces
• 1 + 1 Tbsp Oil
• Salt to Taste
• 1/2 Tsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Ghee

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Instructions

1. Pressure cooker 1/2 cup moong dal in 2 cups water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook until 1 whistle. Take off flame and allow to cool by itself.
2. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry the karela till golden brown and crisp. Take out and keep aside, ready to be used.
3. Lightly saute the drumsticks as well and keep them aside as well, ready to be used.
4. Heat 1 tbsp more of the oil. Add the tempering of bay leaf, red chillies, fenugreek seeds and radhuni (or cumin seeds) over medium-low flame. Add the diced lauki, saute and stir for a minute. Cover and cook for a minute or two.
5. Next lower the flame and add ginger paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt. Stir over low flame, cover and cook over low heat for about bit. If need be, sprinkle some water so it doesn’t get burnt from below.
6. When the lauki is semi done, add the dal from the pressure cooker. Pour some more water if necessary to get to your ideal consistency.
7. When it starts boiling, lower the flame and cook for a few more minutes till the dal and lauki are cooked.
8. Now throw in the slit green chillies add the fried karela, sauteed drumsticks and sprinkle the sugar. Give a good stir and cook for 30-40 seconds more.
9. Lastly add the ghee. Mix well and switch off the flame. Serve hot accompanied by steamed rice.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4