Laucki chana dal

Ingredients

• 1 medium bottle gourd (doodhi)
• 1/2 cup yellow split gram (channa dal)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch of asafoetida
  
• 2 whole red chilies
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp of garam masala
• 1 tsp mango powder (amchur), adjust to taste
• a handful of chopped cilantro leaves
  
• 1 cup of water, adjust as needed

Method

1. Wash and soak channa dal for 1 hour or more.
2. Peel, wash and cut bottle gourd into ½ inch cubes.
3. Boil water in a pressure cooker. Add channa dal, turmeric, salt and lauki to the water, close lid and cook under full pressure for 3-4 minutes or 2 ‘whistles’. When done, grains should be soft but not mushy.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.
5. Add the cumin seeds as they crack add asafoetida, & whole red chilies stir for few seconds.
6. Next add ginger-garlic paste, & chili powder; stir for few secs.
7. Add channa dal and bottle gourd mix from the pressure cooker.
8. Cook till gram dal gets soft.
9. Turn off the heat and sprinkle mango powder, garam masala, and cilantro. Stir and cover the pan for few minutes before serving.