Lauki and chana dal

You'll need

• ¾ cup chana dal, soaked 1 hour
• 300g bottle gourd (lauki), peeled and cubed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp hing, ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp oil or ghee, salt to taste
• Coriander to finish

Method

1. Pressure cook the soaked dal with turmeric, salt and 2½ cups water for 4 whistles.
2. Heat the oil, crackle the cumin, add the hing and ginger.
3. Add the tomato and cook until it collapses.
4. Add the lauki and a splash of water, cover, and cook 8 minutes until just tender.
5. Stir the cooked dal in, simmer five minutes, and finish with coriander.

Why this dish

Lauki is light, watery and cooling, which is why it is the gourd Ayurveda uses most in summer and for Pitta. Chana dal gives it enough substance to be dinner. Soaking is what makes chana dal digestible: skip it and this becomes a heavy dish.

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Often chosen by people browsing

Cooked without added salt at the table, this is a dish people often keep in the weekly rotation.