Hello everyone,
Lauki dal is an Indian lentil curry which is made using bottle gourd and mix of dals. Adding bottle gourd to the dal makes the curry more nutritious and healthy. This is easy to make and it goes well with rice or rotis.
The usual Lauki dal is prepared only with Chana dal. But, this recipe is prepared with toor dal, Chana dal and moong dal with equal quantities.
I had tasted this when I was working in Chennai. I used to stay in company's guest house where the cook is a North Indian. He makes this dish with Chana dal. For some reason we never used to buy bottle gourd in India. After coming to US, I started making South Indian style kootu with this. I bought instant pot recently and its pretty easy to make this dal in it.
The recipe below has both pressure cooker and IP method of preparation.
Serving size: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
Lauki/Sorakkai/bottle gourd - 2 cups
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ghee or oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp
Water - 2 - 2 1/4 cup
Salt as per taste
Cilantro - few finely chopped
Preparation:
1. Peel the skin of the bottle gourd and chop into small cubes by removing seeds.
2. Take all the three dals in a bowl and soak in water for half an hour.
3.Finely chop onions, crush the ginger garlic and keep it ready.
Method:
Pressure Cooker:
1. Heat the pressure cooker, melt ghee and add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds splutters, add onion, ginger garlic paste. Sauté until it turns golden brown and the raw smell goes.
2. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and sauté for a minute.
3. Now add chopped bottle gourd and sauté for another minute.
4. Add soaked dals, water, kasoori methi and required salt. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
5. Once the pressure cooking is done, stir well and garnish with cilantro.
Instant Pot:
1. Set the IP in Sauté mode for 8mins. When it is hot, add ghee and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds splutters, add onion, ginger garlic paste. Sauté until it turns golden brown and the raw smell goes.
2. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and sauté for a minute.
3. Now add chopped bottle gourd and sauté for another minute.
4. Add soaked dals, water, kasoori methi and required salt.
5. Close the lid and make sure the vent in sealing position. Set to pressure cook mode for 8 mins at high pressure.
6.. Once the pressure cooking is done, leave it for 10-15 mins and allow the pressure to release by itself.
7. Open the lid, give it a good stir and garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with steamed rice or Jeera rice or rotis.
1. You can add one slit green chili if you like it more spicy.