We are visiting my husband’s Mamajee (mother’s brother) in Chandigarh. Mamijee (his wife) is busy in the kitchen supervising the meal. I am with her to see if I can lend a hand—and, since I am family, it would be most disrespectful of me to sit like a guest and not ask if I can help! The dal is already boiled, and the lauki (bottle gourd) is being prepared. I watch and try to stay out of the way until I am needed.
Bottle gourd belongs to the family of summer squashes in India like Ridge gourd (Tori) and Indian round gourd (Tinda).
Lauki always makes me think of Loki in Norse Mythology!
Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd Chickpea Curry)
A North Indian specialty, perfect for a vegetarian main or side dish!
Ingredients
For the Dal
- 1 cup channa dal
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger root
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 4 cups water
For the Gourd
- 1 medium gourd, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped fine
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped fine
- ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 serrano chili, sliced in half (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cumin powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala (or to your taste)
- 1½-2 cups water
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (fresh green coriander leaves)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
For the Dal
- Sort and clean the dal well of any grit. Wash, rubbing grains together with your fingers, at least 3 times and soak in water for half an hour, then drain and place in a 4 to 6-quart pot.
- Add 4 cups of water, chopped ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set on the stove and cook on high, partially covered, until it comes to a rolling boil. You can remove any froth that surfaces with a spoon.
- Lower heat and let simmer for approximately 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and blended. Turn off the heat.
For the Gourd
- Peel and cut the gourd in half, then cut in half again and chop into bite-size bits. If the gourd is more mature, the inside flesh might be a little spongy, and you can remove some of it. Immerse in a bowl of water and set aside.
For the Curry
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add cumin seeds and wait until they sputter and turn brown, about 30 seconds (careful, they burn quickly!).
- Add finely chopped onions and sauté until three-quarters brown, 8-10 mins.
- Add the turmeric powder, cumin, and red chili powder. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the finely chopped tomatoes. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are cooked and start to curl.
- Add the bottle gourd after draining. Stir for about one minute, then add 2 cups of water. Cover and cook until almost done, approximately 15minutes.
- Add to the cooked dal and let boil for another 5-10 minutes so the curry and dal are blended and flavors infused.
- Check for salt. Add more hot water if the consistency is too thick. Sprinkle the garam masala on top and stir.
- Pour into a deep serving dish. Garnish with coriander.
Notes
Serve with plain boiled white rice or rotis.
You can omit the tomatoes—it still tastes good!
Farmers’ Market (Apni Mandi) in Chandigarh by Sarbjit Bahga
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