Lauki Chana Dal Recipe (Bottle Gourd & Split Chickpea Lentil Curry)
Lauki Chana Dal is a classic North Indian curry made with lauki (bottle gourd), chana dal (Bengal gram lentil), and a few spices. This dish is perfect for everyday meals. Make this Indian lentil curry in an Instant Pot or a traditional pressure cooker using my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
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
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 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
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.
- Gather the remaining ingredients.
Soaking the chana dal is crucial; otherwise, it will take longer to cook than the lauki, and the lauki will become overly soft.
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 cook for 3-4 minutes until they turn light brown, stirring frequently.
- Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, and tomatoes, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now, add the lauki and cook 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 Instant Pot‘s lid 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 time to build up 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, then open the pot lid. The dal should be soft enough to mash between your fingers but still hold some shape, not mushy. The same goes for lauki.
- Add garam masala powder and lime juice and stir the dal gently.
- Add more water if the dal is too thick for your liking.
- Check for salt and add more if required.
Don’t rush this step, as the browned onions make the backbone of the flavor.
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.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Save some tempering to garnish the dal.
Video
Notes
Adjust the green chilies to your preferred level of spiciness.
If there are large seeds in lauki, discard them by cutting the portion containing them lengthwise.
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. I used my 3-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 cooking time will remain the same.
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
