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Lauki Chana Dal
Lauki chana dal is a spiced healthy curry made with bottle gourd (opo squash), bengal gram (chana dal), onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. Best had with roti or paratha.
Prep Time
30
minutes
mins
Cook Time
20
minutes
mins
Total Time
50
minutes
mins
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
North Indian, Punjabi
Diet:
Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level:
Moderate
Servings:
2
Calories:
246
kcal
Author:
Dassana Amit
Ingredients
1.5 to 2
cups
chopped lauki
(bottlegourd)
¼
cup
chana dal
(split and husked bengal gram or split chickpea)
1
medium onion,
finely chopped
2
medium tomatoes,
finely chopped
1
green chili,
chopped
1
inch
ginger,
finely chopped
½ or ¾
teaspoon
cumin seeds
¼
teaspoon
turmeric powder
¼
teaspoon
red chili powder
½
teaspoon
Punjabi Garam Masala
or regular garam masala
1
pinch
asafoetida
(hing) - optional
½ to ¾
cup
water for pressure cooking
1.5 to 2
tablespoon
oil
or ghee
1 to 1.5
tablespoon
chopped coriander leaves
salt as required
Instructions
Soaking chana dal
Rinse the chana dal in fresh water a couple of times. Then soak the chana dal for atleast 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
Drain water from the chana dal and keep aside.
Making lauki chana dal
Heat oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Crackle the cumin first.
Add the onions and saute stirring often till they become translucent.
Add the ginger and green chilies and saute for 10 to 15 seconds.
Now add the tomatoes and all the dry spice powders. Saute till the tomatoes soften. Keep on stirring.
The oil should start releasing from the onion-tomato masala.
Now add the chana dal and stir. Add the chopped lauki (bottle gourd) and salt as required. Pour water and stir.
Cover with the lid and pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles on a high heat.
If there is lots of liquid in the sabzi, then simmer without the lid to dry the liquids.
This lauki chana dal gravy has a medium consistency.
When the pressure drops on its own, then only remove the lid and stir the chopped coriander leaves.
You can also garnish the curry with coriander leaves. Serve lauki chana dal hot with phulkas or rotis.
Notes
To make lauki chana dal curry in a pan, add about 1.5 cup water and cover and cook. If the water dries up whilst cooking you can add some more water.
Ensure that the lauki is fresh, tender with a mild neutral taste. If the lauki has a bitter taste then don't use it and discard it.
Instead of oil you can use ghee.
We prefer this curry to be slightly spicy. But if you can't tolerate spicy food then skip or reduce the green chilies and red chili powder.
The chana dal should be in the shelf period. Don't use rancid or aged chana dal.
The consistency of the curry is medium. But if you want to make a semi-dry or slightly thick lauki chana dal ki sabzi then add less water.
Nutrition
Calories:
246
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
31
g
|
Protein:
6
g
|
Fat:
12
g
|
Saturated Fat:
1
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g
|
Monounsaturated Fat:
9
g
|
Sodium:
676
mg
|
Potassium:
550
mg
|
Fiber:
9
g
|
Sugar:
7
g
|
Vitamin A:
1120
IU
|
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine):
1
mg
|
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):
1
mg
|
Vitamin B3 (Niacin):
1
mg
|
Vitamin B6:
1
mg
|
Vitamin C:
24
mg
|
Vitamin E:
5
mg
|
Vitamin K:
11
µg
|
Calcium:
115
mg
|
Vitamin B9 (Folate):
29
µg
|
Iron:
3
mg
|
Magnesium:
69
mg
|
Phosphorus:
68
mg
|
Zinc:
1
mg