Ash Gourd-Tomato Dal

Ash Gourd-Tomato Dal is a hearty and delicious lentil soup and is sure to warm you up on a cold, wintry day. Ash gourd is bland, so the onions and tomatoes add a sweet and tangy taste. As ash-gourd is a watery vegetable, add less water when cooking the veggies and dal if you want a thick dal. For a watery dal, add more water. Either way, this dal tastes great and is full of protein. If you don’t eat onions, leave them out.

To save time, you can cook the dal and veggies together in the pressure cooker.

Servings: 4-6
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups toor dal (split red lentil)
• 1 1/4 cups ash-gourd (white pumpkin), cut into small pieces
• 1 cup tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup onions, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 4-5 green chillies, slit lengthwise (adjust to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 tsp lime/lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves) , finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

For Seasoning

• 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• Asafoetida powder (hing), a pinch
• 1 tbsp coconut, freshly grated (or dried)

Preparation

1. Cook the toor dal in the pressure cooker with 1 1/4 cups water and a pinch of turmeric powder for 3-4 whistles.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and ash-gourd and saute for 1 minute. Add 1 cup water, salt, and turmeric powder and cook on high heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce the heat, and add the tomatoes and green chillies. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
3. Mash the cooked toor dal a bit and add to the veggies along with salt as needed.
4. Heat oil in a small pan for the seasoning. Add the asafoetida powder and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the coconut and fry for a few seconds, an pour over the dal. Stir and place the ash gourd-tomato dal on the heat and simmer until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
5. Add the lime juice to the ash gourd-tomato dal and garnish with cilantro just before serving.
6. Serve the dal with plain rice.

Category: Dals and Soups - Members, Vegan Dals and Soups - Members