Lauki chana -Bottle gourd curry cooked with lentils is a recipe which is common at many north Indian households.I think it is a unique way of combining the goodness of lentil proteins with calabash or hulu.
Commonly known as bottle gourd in Hindi - 'lauki' or 'ghia', a great diuretic.
The only thing you need to be sure before cooking calabash is tasting a piece before cooking it, to ensure it is not bitter.
Nutrition facts of Bottle gourd
Ayurveda recommends 'Lauki' or 'Ghia' for weight loss.It contains a lot of water in it.It contains only 14 calories for a 100 gm usage.It has an easy digestion.It is also given to women post pregnancy for lunches.(Sometimes without lentils as it may cause some gas in new borns).
It is also a moderate source of vitamin B,C and folates.
This recipe is great if you need to lose weight.
You can serve this with flat bread or 'roti'.Goes great with brown rice for main course too.Pair it with raita yogurt dip and some fried poppadums.
Yum!
Scroll below to read the recipe of Lauki chana -Bottle gourd curry cooked with lentils
Lauki channa dal is an easy way of having veggies and lentils together.Wholesome dish,
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Channa dal/Bengal gram (soaked for 10 minutes in hot water)
- 1 -1/2 cup Lauki (ghia)/bottle gourd (cut into ½ inch cubes)
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch of Asafoetida (Heeng)(Optional, avoid if gluten-free)
- 2 Green chilies chopped finely
- 3/4 cup/1 medium tomato
- Small piece finely chopped ginger/adrak
- Pinch of Turmeric powder/haldi
- 1 tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder/jeera
- 1/4 tsp Garam masala
- Garnish: Cilantro leaves finely chopped
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan.
- Add the cumin seeds and let it crackle.Add asafoetida and green chilies. Stir for a few seconds.
- Add ginger, turmeric, and chili powder and stir for a few seconds.
- Add the soaked bengal gram, bottle gourd, salt, and one cup of water (adjust as needed to desired gravy thickness; bottle guard varies in moisture content).
- Pressure cook it until soft for about fifteen minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the dried mango powder, garam masala, and cilantro.
- Stir and cover the pan for a few minutes before serving with flat bread or brown rice.
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