Chana Daal with Bottle Gourd (Ghiya)

This is a traditional Punjabi combination of Chana daal and Ghiya. Its called Chholiyaan di daal - daal made out of split kaale chhole/Bengal gram. This simple dish brings together the two widely loved flavors – Chana Daal and ghiya (Bottle Gourd).

Ingredients:

• 2 cup chana daal ( split bengal gram) soaked for 1 hour
• 1 small bottle gourd (ghiya) cut into 2” square pieces
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dry mango powder ( amchur powder)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 tbsps melted ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 slit green chillies (optional but preferred)
• 1/2 tsp asafetida powder
• Crispy fried onion slices for garnishing

Method:

• Put chana dal into a pressure cooker. Add 5-6 cups of water, 2 tbsp of cooking oil and turmeric powder to it. Stir well.
• Cover the pressure cooker and set on flame. Cook for 2 'whistles'/ pressure releases.
• In a pan heat ghee; add bay leaf, cumin seeds, asafetida, green chillies, chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Fry it till golden.
• Now add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, amchur powder and salt. Fry it till ghee starts to separate from masala. Now add ghiya pieces to masala and cook till ghiya is soft.
• Open the pressure cooker when it is cooled, stir the boiled lentils well. If it is too thick, add some warm water and stir till the consistency is right.
• Mix ghiya masala to chana dal and stir well. Add lemon juice to it.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and crispy fried onion slices.
• Serve hot with Sabji, Chutney and roti (Indian Flat Bread).

Do You Know?

Chana dal, also known as Bengal gram, is the most widely grown dal in India. Its pale-yellow color has a sweet, nutty aroma. Chana dal has a very high nutritious value. It is praised by diabetics for its incredibly low glycemic index. (The glycemic index measures the effect of foods on blood sugar levels.)