Kaddu chana dal Curry(Bottlegourd and Lentil curry)

While i was in Bangalore i usually prepared this curry for my Lunch box. This is a pretty simple and straight forward curry which requires no cooking mastery.Talking about the end product, i bet you will always prepare this because its tasty as well as easy to prepare.

My colleges back in India always liked my kaddu dishes like dal kaddu and kaddu kofta. It is a solution for people who get very less time to cook or want a recipe that can be prepared in just minutes. 

Kaddu chana dal is extremely easy in preparation. It hardly takes 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish, assuming you have a pressure cooker or a cooking vessel with a heavy lid. There is nothing much to monitor or stir or add or anything like that once you have packed your cooker(only Caution: wait for 3 whistle or steam release by your cooker)

Apart from being tasty this super healthy and nutritious curry since it is all full with protein, iron and several other vitamins. Those who are on diet this can be your dieting curry.

Lets take a look at the recipe.

Serves- 4

Preparation time- 5 minutes

Cooking time - 15 minutes.

Total time- 20 minutes.

Level of difficulty - easy

Ingredients:

• Bottle-gourd - 1, peeled and then chopped into 2cm cubes.
• Onion- 1,sliced
• Tomato- 1, medium, cut into halves
• Green chillies as per taste
• Salt as per taste
• Chana dal- handful(100g to 150g),washed 
•  Oil- 2 Tbsp
• Paanch phoron- 1 Tsp or cumin seed - 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves- few
• Bay leaf-1
• Turmeric powder- 1 Tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 Tsp
• Pepper powder- 1 Tsp
• Coconut crushed or chopped- 1 Tbsp(optional)
• Coriander leaves
• Water

Directions:

• Before you start cutting your bottlegourd, just soak the chana dal in hot water(This will give ample time for water to be soaked by chana dal before you put them in cooker. This is to speed up cooking of chana dal)
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker vessel or in a vessel with a heavy lid.
• Once the oil is hot, add the paanch phoron and curry leaves. Once the seeds starts crackling add the onions and green chilies. saute until onion turns translucent.
• Add the bottleguard, chana dal, tomato and the spices(turmeric, coriander, pepper), bay leaf and salt .
• Now stir once.
• Add water such that you cover more than half of your veggies with water( 3/4th ).
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker and wait for 3 whistle in medium to low flame. 

(if you are not using pressure cooker, then after step 4 , fry until the bottle guard is 75% done, next add water . Cover and let this simmer in medium heat until the chana dal is fully done.Once the dal is ready it means your curry is ready to serve.)

• After the 3rd whistle turn off the heat and wait for the steam to settle down.
• Once steam settles, open and garnish with coriander and coconut.

Serve hot with rice, bread or chapati...

Enjoy and Happy cooking.

By- Sushmita pandit.