Lauki Chana Dal Stew
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or Insta pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal washed and soaked for up to 1 hour
- 1½-2 lbs lauki peeled and diced into large cubes,
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1-2 black cardamom optional
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes about 3 Roma
- 1-2 hot green chillies, deseeded for a milder flavor
- 2 tbsp avocado, olive or any mild flavored oil or ghee
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the chana dal in water for 1 hour. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- For Pressure Cooker or Insta Pot Method: Warm oil/ghee to the pot. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, black cardamom, chopped onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to soften. add the garlic, ginger, salt and tomatoes, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the turmeric, coriander, dal and lauki, mix well. Add up to ¼ cup water.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Or in case of pressure cooker once the valve whistles lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Naturally release pressure. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or steamed rice.
- For conventional method cook in a large sauce pan with fitted lid for 25-30 minutes until the dal is tender and lauki is fully cooked. You may need little extra water in case the dal dries out. I have always cooked this stew in a pressure cooker, so can't be 100% accurate about the conventional method.
Notes
- The stew will be slightly soupy with chana dal and pieces of lauki. To make the stew less soupy cut back on adding the water to couple of tablespoons of water instead of 1/4 cup.
- Always soak the chana dal for at least one hour prior to cooking. The recipe is written for pre soaked chana dal.
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