CHANA DAAL WITH GHIYA - SPLIT GRAM WITH BOTTLE GOURD

When it comes to comfort food - daal - tops the list. You can have a bowl of dal on its own, or with rotis, or parathas, or bread, or rice. You can use it to make rotis, dosas, pulao, kichri......the list is endless. Add some bottle gourd to it, & you have a nice wholesome daal subzi. I like this so much that I crave for this dish at times.........

Ing -

2 katoris - split peas / chana daal / kadla paripu

2 katoris - bottle gourd / ghiya peeled & diced into cubes1 big onion - roughly chopped

1 tsp -grated garlic

1 tsp - jeera / cumin

a generous pinch of hing / asofetida

1 tsp - haldi

1 tsp - red chilli powder

1/2 tsp - garam masala

1 tsp - lime juice

Method-

Pressure cook the dal & the ghiya along with salt, chilli & haldi. My normal procedure is to let one whistle pass & then cook on slow flame for about 10 minutes. The result is fully cooked but not mashed dal.

In a frypan, add the ghee. When hot add the jeera & let sputter.

Add the grated garlic & fry.

Then add the onions & fry till light brown in colour.

Add the hing.

Now pour this tempering onto the daal & add the garam masala & lime juice & mix well.

If you wish to add tomatoes you can do so at the time of pressure cooking or during the tempering.

I prefer it without the tomatoes. The flavor of the dal comes out excellently without them.