Lauki Chana Dal ~ Bottlegourd Chickpea Lentil Stew

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Last week saw some awesome movement on the blog. All I did was share the Chocolate Biscuit Pudding on a few FB groups and what happened was the least that I expected! The day it was posted and the next day showed some really good hits on the blog, in fact last Wednesday showed the highest hits ever since I started the blog. The other time I got close to it was when I shared the Fluffy Biscuit Pudding. I get asked by all as to how to keep a blog running. In fact, there is no formula for it. If you are ready to spent a lot of time looking at ways to emaciate your blog in the way of social networking and otherwise, and if you are lucky, you will get in a healthy amount of hits. It is a lot of work. But more than work, I feel it is luck too. Like, there are times I have shared some of my posts on so many platforms and it gets no pull; some days I share on just two to three pages and it gets a mad push. All I have to say is keep doing what you love and not to get bogged by the numbers – this is firstly for me and then to all of you who would love to have a food blog. Sometimes, the number comes, sometimes it gets stagnated, sometimes it gets better way beyond you ever imagined. Whichever way it comes to you, be happy. 🙂

 

Being a vegetarian/ vegan for the past few months has made me turn to experimenting a lot with that kind of food. I have always tried variety in non-veg food, which you can see in the recipe index as well, but now, I love to experiment more with vegetarian food, though I don’t get a good response from the family. Naturally, because they love more non-veg. Each time I call umma, she gives me a lecture to cook non-veg food so that the rest of them are happy. 😀 I told her I cook every weekend, but she feels I am depriving them of “delicious” food. Is that so? I don’t think so… 🙂 I agree that if you are used to non-veg, then definitely it is delicious but it doesn’t mean that vegetarian food isn’t that bad! Haha… OK, stopping my rambling, coming to one of my favorite curries as of now… This Lauki Chana Dal features at least once a month in our house. Even though I am not a fan of this watery vegetable except in this form, I find it an awesome combination with the fiesty chana dal. At least, the folks at home don’t turn their face away from this curry. It tastes awesome to soak up with some thick tandoor rotis… Off to the recipe…

 

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Lauki Chana Dal ~ Bottlegourd - Chickpea Lentil Stew

Course Curries
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

  • 700 gm lauki
  • 1/2 cup chickpea lentil chana dal
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • A big pinch asafoetida hing
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 4 green chillies slit
  • 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 to mato chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi crushed (optional)

Instructions

  • Wash and soak the chana dal for 30 minutes. Drain.
  • Peel the lauki and cut into peices.
  • In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Splutter cumin seeds along with the hing and bay leaf.
  • Add the onion and chilies and saute till wilted.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the tomatoes and saute till it is totally mashed and oil starts floating on top.
  • Add the powders and saute for a minute.
  • Add in the drained daal and saute for five minutes. Add salt.
  • Now add the lauki, the water and close the lid. Cook for three whistles on hight flame and then on low flame for 15 minutes. Switch off and allow the pressure to go by itself.
  • Open the lid, add the garam malsala powder and kasuri methi and cook on simmer for 5 minutes. Add water, if required.
  • Serve hot with chapathis.

Notes

Lauki releases a lot of water, so be careful at the amount of water being added to the pressure cooker.

Join the Conversation

  1. Healthy and protein rich stew.. Lovely share..

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      Thanks a lot Sharmila…

  2. Yay! my first post for 2016 was this curry. Umma says that this veg has the goodness of eating mutton! About the blog numbers, how much ever we evade the thought, that is the best way we get motivated! Good numbers push us to do more and better. Wonder how long can a blogger be called as newbie? 😛 its been almost two years for me and I still feel new LOL!

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      You were one inspiration to make this curry, if I am being truthful… 🙂 We will feel new for long, as long as the numbers never push… hehe… Thanks a lot Fami…

  3. Tasty and healthy my fav

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      Thanks a lot Beena…

  4. A delicious and healthy stew and this reminds me that I need to soak some chickpea later.

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      Haha…. sometimes we get reminded when we see posts, right… Thanks a lot Angie…

  5. So delicious and comforting dish..

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      Thanks a lot Rumana…

  6. I too feel the same about blogging…. sometimes when less work is done, you may get many hits and at times when lot of work is done and sharing in many groups won’t give the expected results….!! This veggie stew looks delicious and I love to have it with chapatis or rotis 🙂

    1. Rafeeda AR Author says:

      Thank you so much Remya… 🙂

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