Lauki Chana Dal with Instant Pot and Stovetop instructions.
A simple, delicious and nutritious curry or subzi that can be served as a side dish with either rotis or rice. You can also make it satvik by skipping the onion and garlic.
Growing up, Grandma had a sprawling climber that produced way too many bottle gourds so fast than we can actually consume it that we were giving it away to whoever stopped by our home.
But they used to be small and round in shape than the longer and cylindrical shape that we get in the markets nowadays.
Bottle Gourd is an amazing vegetable that is nutrient dense and belongs to the cucumber family.
Bottle gourds are so healthy and are nature's gift to us. Here are
5 reasons why you should eat Bottle Gourds:
- Being a water rich vegetable, bottle gourds are naturally diuretic and can help treat UTI (urinary tract infection).
- It is also extremely low in calories making it very good for people on a weight loss journey.
- It is so rich in dietary fibre that it is good for people who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), like me.
- It is antibilious, meaning that it is good for treating liver and digestive disorders.
- 98% of bottle gourd is just water. So it is great for detox days, making you feel refreshed and energetic.
How to pick Bottle Gourd?
Make sure to buy one that does not have any tears or cuts on the surface. There should not be any water leaking out as well.
When you press the gourd with your thumb if should be firm. If you like drinking bottle gourd juice, always do a taste test after cutting them. Some varieties are known to taste bitter.
After cutting, if you find the seeds to be mature and thick, discard them. If the seeds are soft and supple to the touch, then chop the bottle gourd as such and use.
Garlic and Ginger: I do not like adding asafoetida to this subzi. Instead I add ginger for easy digestion.
If you do not wish to add ginger and garlic, you can skip both and add asafoetida instead.
Lemon Juice: Do not miss it. It enhances the taste many times and balances the spices well.
I always prefer adding lemon juice to individual bowls while serving than adding it to the entire pot.
This way when you wish to reheat any leftovers, the lemon juice will not turn the dish to taste bitter.
If you are making this Lauki Chana Dal on a fasting day, then you skip adding onion, garlic and make it into a no onion no garlic recipe.
Stepwise Instructions for Lauki Chana Dal:
Press the Saute button in the instant pot and wait for it to become hot. Add oil, cumin seeds, green chillies and onion. saute till translucent.
Add garlic, ginger, tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes become slightly mushy.
Add Spice powders and mix well to combine. Fry for few seconds.
Drain water completely from the soaking chana dal and add it to the inner pot.
Add chopped lauki or bottle gourd.
Add water, salt and mix well to combine. Close the lid with the vent sealed and pressure cook.
After the pressure releases, open lid, add garam masala powder and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve this lauki chana dal hot with rice or rotis.
Recipe Notes:
- Always adjust the spice level according to your taste. You can either skip adding the green chilli totally or remove the seeds if you don't want the dish to be spicy.
- After opening the lid, if you find the dal to be thick or dry, add hot water to it.
- If the subzi to be thin or with excess liquid, then boil it for some time till the desired consistency is reached.
- Because of the thickening nature of chana dal, the dal tends to become thick as it absorbs the excess liquid after it cools off considerably.
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Lauki Chana Dal Recipe Card below:
Lauki Chana Dal
Ingredients
- Lauki or Bottle Gourd - 1-½ cups
- Chana Dal - ¼ cup
- Onion - 1 medium
- Tomato - 1 big
- Garlic - 3 pods
- Ginger - ½ inch piece
- Green Chilli - 1
- Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Coriander powder - 1-½ tsp
- Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
- Cumin powder - ½ tsp
- Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
- Lemon juice - to taste
- Salt - to taste
- Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
- Oil - 1 tbsp
Instructions
Preparation:
- Rinse and soak chana dal in water for 30 mins.
- Wash and scrape the skin of the bottle gourd with a peeler. Chop into 1 to 2 inch cubes and set aside.
- Chop onion and tomatoes finely. Crush both garlic, ginger and set aside. Cut the green chilli into 2 to 3 pieces.
Instant Pot Lauki Chana Dal:
- Press the saute button and add oil. Once it is hot, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and saute till the tomatoes turn a bit mushy.
- Add the spice powders - coriander, red chilli, turmeric and cumin powders and saute well so that the powders don't get burned.
- Drain the soaking water and transfer the chana dal to the inner pot. Add chopped lauki and mix well to combine.
- Add ¾ cup water, salt and mix again. Close with the lid with the vent in sealed position. Pressure cook at high for 7 mins and wait for natural pressure release (npr) to open the lid.
- Add garam masala powder, coriander leaves and mix well while mashing lightly with the ladle.
- Serve this lauki chana dal piping hot with chapthis or rice. Squeeze in lemon juice as per your taste on top before eating.
Lauki Chana Dal on stovetop:
- To a pressure cooker, add drained chana dal, chopped bottle gourd, turmeric powder, ¾ cup water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. After pressure releases, open lid and mash lightly. Set aside.
- Heat a pan with oil. Once hot, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add onion, garlic, ginger and saute till the onions turns translucent.
- Add tomato, a pinch of salt and saute till the tomatoes turn a bit mushy.
- Add the spice powders - coriander, red chilli, turmeric and cumin powders and saute that the powders does not get burned.
- Add cooked chana dal - bottle gourd mixture, salt and give it a mix. Let it cook over medium flame for 3 to 4 mins. If the curry seems too thick , add little hot water to adjust the consistency.
- Add garam masala powder, coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame and keep the pan covered for another 5 mins for the flavours to imbibe well.
- Squeeze in lemon juice to individual servings and enjoy this lauki chana dal piping hot with chapathis or rice.
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