DUDHI WITH CHANA DAL / SPLIT BENGAL GRAM WITH BOTTLE GOURD

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

This is a very light, mild, simple, quick and very delicious as well as healthy dish. Here both vegetable and lentil make a wholesome meal. This particular recipe, where 'dudhi cooked with chana dal and spices', is a Gujrati delicacy. It is not only tasty and flavorful, but a protein pack dish. My mom also made this dish with little variations, so I asked mom, how to make this dish  more toothsome and I made little modification according her. She enjoyed this dish fully and hope you will also enjoy.....

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Split Bengal Gram (chana dal)
1/2 of a Small Bottle Gourd (lauki/dudhi)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Green Chilli (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/3 tsp Garam Masala (optional)
1 tsp Curry powder
1&1/2 Cups Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste
Coriander Leaves For Garnishing

METHOD:

Wash and soak split Bengal gram for 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain water completely.

Wash and peel bottle gourd. Cut into medium cubes. Set it aside.

Boil 1&1/2 cups water in a pressure pan. Add lit Bengal gram, bottle gourd pieces, turmeric powder and salt to the water. Close lid and cook till 2 whistles. Lets cool naturally.

Open the pressure cooker now. (If dal seems too thick, add extra water. The dal should be the exact consistency of a casserole. It must be soft , but not mushy) Set aside.

Heat clarified butter in a kadhai/wok. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. Let cumin seed splutters. 

Add tomato, green chilli and little salt in it. Fry for a minute.

Now add curry powder, red chilli powder and garam masala in it. 

Fry for 3-4 minutes, till tomato turns mushy and leaves oil from the sides.

Pour boiled split Bengal gram along with bottle gourd on it. Stir nicely. 

Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off the heat now.

Garnish with coriander leaves and seve hot with plain rice or chapathis.

Sending to: Homely Food Event / Giveaway; "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights; Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE; Jagruti's Mom's event- Food She Loved;  Gat's & Viji's Show Your Styles to the World - Fenugreek & Bottle Gourd