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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Dal & Curries » Dal » Lauki Chana Dal

    Published: May 13, 2021 | Last Updated On: Jan 13, 2023 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Lauki Chana Dal

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    Lauki Chana Dal is a delicious and nutritious combination of lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), and a few spices. Make this Indian lentil curry for your everyday meals and serve it with rice or roti (vegetarian, can be easily made vegan and gluten-free).

    Here are some more lauki recipes that you can often make at home – Lauki Kofta, Lauki Raita, Lauki Ka Bharta, Gujarati Lauki Thepla, Lauki Tamatar Sabzi, and Shahi Bharwa Lauki.

    Lauki chana dal served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About Lauki Chana Dal
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Lauki Chana Dal
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Lauki Chana Dal

    Lauki Chana Dal is a popular North Indian curry that is prepared with lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), and a few everyday spices.

    It is a great recipe to make in summer, as the bottle gourd provides the much-needed hydration due to its high water content and chana dal provides the protein which keeps you full for longer.

    This healthy, easy, fuss-free lentil curry can be made in an instant pot or a traditional stovetop pressure cooker.

    This lauki chana dal recipe is vegetarian and can be easily made vegan and gluten-free.

    It can also be easily doubled or tripled. I used my 6-quart instant pot (or a 3-liter pressure cooker) but if you want to scale the recipe, then use a bigger instant pot or pressure cooker. The time of cooking will remain the same.

    Ingredients

    Lauki chana dal ingredients 1
    Lauki chana dal ingredients 2
    Lauki chana dal ingredients 3

    Lauki – Lauki, also known as ghiya, doodhi, or bottle gourd is one of those vegetables that are easily available in the local Indian grocery store all around the year. Pick up the one which is pale green in color, firm, light in weight, and tender with fewer seeds.

    Chana Dal – Chana dal or Bengal gram lentil is high in protein. Make sure to soak it in water for better cooking.

    Ghee – I prefer to prepare this dal ghee for a richer taste. If you want the recipe to be vegan, you can use vegetable oil instead.

    Others – You will alsoneed turmeric powder, salt, onion, garlic, fresh ginger, green chilies, and fresh tomatoes.

    Adjust the green chilies as per your taste.

    For Tempering – Temper the chana dal with ghee, cumin seeds, and asafetida (hing). You can avoid adding asafetida to make it gluten-free.

    I also like to garnish it with freshly chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) for a refreshing taste.

    How To Make Lauki Chana Dal

    Preparation

    Wash 1 cup chana dal with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.

    Soak it in 3-4 cups of water for 20 minutes.

    Note – Soaking the chana dal is important otherwise it will take more time to cook as compared to the lauki and lauki will get mushy.

    Soaked chana dal.

    Peel a small size lauki using a vegetable peeler. We need 300 g of cubed lauki.

    Wash the peeled lauki and cut it into 1-inch cubes. If there are large seeds, then discard them by cutting the portion with the seeds lengthwise. Set the cubed lauki aside.

    Gather the remaining ingredients.

    Cook The Dal

    In An Instant Pot

    Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.

    Once it says HOT, add 2 tablespoon ghee.

    Ghee added to instant pot.

    Once the ghee is hot, add ½ cup chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until they turn light brown in color, stirring frequently.

    Onions added to the pot.

    Add 2 teaspoon chopped ginger, 2 teaspoon chopped garlic, 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies, and ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, and saute for 2-3 minutes.

    Ginger, garlic, green chilies and tomatoes added to the pot.

    Now, add the cubed lauki and saute for a minute.

    Lauki added to the pot.

    Drain the water from the chana dal and add the dal to the pot along with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 and ½ cups of water and stir well.

    Soaked dal, salt and turmeric powder added to the pot.
    Water added to the pot.

    Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

    Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at High Pressure. The instant pot will take some to build the pressure and start the timer (10-12 minutes).

    Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

    Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.

    Cooked dal.

    Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 tablespoon lime juice and stir the dal gently.

    Garam masala powder and lime juice aded to the pot.

    Add more water if the dal is thick.

    Check for salt and add more if required.

    In A Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker

    To make the dal in a traditional pressure cooker, pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then set the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes.

    Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. Add more water if the dal is thick.

    Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 tablespoon lime juice and stir the dal gently.

    Temper The Dal

    Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. 

    Once the ghee is hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon asafetida and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds. 

    Cumin seeds and asafetida added to hot ghee.

    Remove the pan from heat. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and immediately pour the tempering over the cooked dal.

    Red chili powder added to the pan.

    Stir gently.

    Tempering poured over the dal.

    Tip – Keep some tempering to garnish the dal.

    Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot.

    Ready lauki chana dal garnished with chopped cilantro.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to make vegan lauki and chana dal?

    Replace ghee with any cooking oil to make this dal vegan.

    How to make gluten-free chana lauki dal?

    Skip adding asafetida to make a vegan version of this lentil curry.

    Variations

    You can make this dal with different vegetables like tinda (apple gourd), palak (spinach), or methi (fenugreek leaves), etc.

    You can replace lauki with zucchini.

    Some crushed and fried Punjabi dal wadi can also be added to this dal.

    Add some achari masala, goda masala, malvani masala or meat masala for a taste change.

    Serving Suggestions

    Lauki chana dal can be served with a dry sabzi and phulka for your everyday meals.

    It also tastes great with other Indian bread such as tawa paratha, laccha paratha, missi roti, jowar roti, etc.

    I also enjoy this dal with simple steamed rice, jeera rice, or lightly spiced pulao. Do not forget to serve roasted papad and some sliced onions on the side.

    Storage Suggestions

    Lauki chana dal will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days when stored in an air-tight container.

    Reheat it in a pan or microwave before serving again. If you feel it has become a little thick after refrigerating, then add in some hot water and adjust the consistency.

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    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Lauki Chana Dal is a delicious and nutritious combination of lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), and a few spices. Make this Indian lentil curry for your everyday meals and serve it with rice or roti (vegetarian, can be easily made vegan and gluten-free).

    Lauki Chana Dal Recipe

    Lauki Chana Dal is a delicious and nutritious combination of lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), and a few spices. Make this Indian lentil curry for your everyday meals and serve it with rice or roti (vegetarian, can be easily made vegan and gluten-free).
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Soaking Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 335kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram lentils)
    • 2 tablespoons ghee (use oil for vegan)
    • ½ cup chopped onions
    • 2 teaspoons chopped ginger
    • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
    • 2 teaspoons chopped green chili
    • ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
    • 300 grams lauki (bottle gourd, doodhi) (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, If there are large seeds, then discard them by cutting the portion with the seeds lengthwise. Set the cubed lauki aside.)
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • 2 and ½ cups water
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice

    For Tempering

    • 2 tablespoons ghee (use oil for vegan)
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
    • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
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    Instructions

    Preparation

    • Wash chana dal with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
    • Soak it in 3-4 cups of water for 20 minutes.
    • Note – Soaking the chana dal is important otherwise it will take more time to cook as compared to the lauki and lauki will get mushy.
    • Gather the remaining ingredients.

    Cook The Dal

      In An Instant Pot

      • Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
      • Once it says HOT, add ghee.
      • Once the ghee is hot, add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until they turn light brown in color, stirring frequently.
      • Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and tomatoes, and saute for 2-3 minutes.
      • Now, add the lauki and saute for a minute.
      • Drain the water from the chana dal and add the dal to the pot along with turmeric powder, salt, and 2 and ½ cups of water and stir well.
      • Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
      • Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 minutes at High Pressure. The instant pot will take some to build the pressure and start the timer (10-12 minutes).
      • Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
      • Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
      • Add garam masala powder and lime juice and stir the dal gently.
      • Add more water if the dal is thick.
      • Check for salt and add more if required.

      In A Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker

      • To make the dal in a traditional pressure cooker, pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then set the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
      • Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. Add more water if the dal is thick.
      • Add garam masala powder and lime juice and stir the dal gently.

      Temper The Dal

      • Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. 
      • Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and asafetida and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds. 
      • Remove the pan from heat. Add chili powder and immediately pour the tempering over the cooked dal.
      • Stir gently.
      • Tip – Keep some tempering to garnish the dal.
      • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

      Notes

      This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. I used my 6-quart instant pot (or a 3-liter pressure cooker) but if you want to scale the recipe, then use a bigger instant pot or pressure cooker. The time of cooking will remain the same.
      Adjust the green chilies as per your taste.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4.7mg
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        Recipe Rating




      1. Rohini

        October 07, 2021 at 5:00 pm

        5 stars
        Easy to make snd v delicious. My husband who normally like ghiya loved it. Thanks for sharing

        Reply
      2. Poonam

        November 13, 2022 at 5:24 pm

        5 stars
        very delicious

        Reply

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