Kaddu Ka Dalcha

Tangy, zingy bottle gourd dalcha is a common hyderabadi cuisine. Kaddu (in Hyderabad bottle gourd is called as kaddu) is cooked in spicy, tangy chana dal broth.

Ingredients:

• 1 small sized kaddu (bottle gourd)
• 1 cup Chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 2 medium onions chopped long and thin
• 5-6 green chilies chopped long and thin
• 2 bunches coriander leaves chopped
• 8-10 leaves of curry leaves
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp tamarind extract
• ½ tsp shahjeera
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 3-4 cloves
• ½ ”cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and cut the bottle gourd (kaddu) into medium size pieces. About one cup of diced kaddu is enough for this preparation. You can add beans and carrots also.
• Prepare dal broth: To the chana dal add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and enough water to cook till tender. Mash well. Add the tamarind pulp along with 2 glasses of water. Keep this dal broth aside for later use.
• Cook bottle gourd: Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, onions, curry leaves and green chilies; fry them until onion is brown. Add now ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt; and fry for a few minutes until tomatoes turn into pulp. Stir in bottle gourd pieces. Pour some water, close the lid and cook until bottle gourd is just soft.
• Add dal broth to cooked bottle gourd and mix well.
• Add half of the chopped coriander leaves and allow simmering on a slow fire for a few minutes.
• While dalcha is simmering, grind shahzeera, cardamoms, and cloves into fine powder. Add this powder to dalcha. Take out in a serving bowl when cooked.
• Garnish with remaining chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice.

Do you know?

Although bottle gourd is quite tasteless and bland vegetable, it is popular because of the fact that it is easily digestible and it has many health benefits. It is very valuable in urinary disorders.

A glassful of fresh bottle gourd juice, prepared by grating the whole fruit, mixed with teaspoonful of lime juice, should be taken once daily for the treatment of burning sensation in urinary passage due to high acidity of urine. It serves as an alkaline mixture.