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Bottlegourd-Spinach Dal

| March 8, 2013 Comment

bottlegourd-spinach dal

Bottlegourd-Spinach Dal is a South Indian lentil soup that’s full of flavor and nutrition. Bottlegourd is great for many digestive ailments, while spinach is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and riboflavin which help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, asthma, heart disease.

Servings: 4
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup toor dal (red gram/lentil)
  • 1 cup bottlegourd (lauki, sorakaya), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 2 cups spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste

For Masala

  • 3 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 3-4 green chillies (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4-inch piece ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup coconut, freshly grated or dried
  • 2 tbsp cilantro leaves (coriander leaves), chopped

For Seasoning

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • Asafoetida powder (hing), a pinch
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)

Preparation

  1. Cook the toor dal in the pressure cooker with 1 1/4 cups water and a little turmeric powder for 4-5 whistles.
  2. In a deep saucepan, boil bottlegourd and spinach with 1/4 cup water, salt, and a little turmeric powder.
  3. While the veggies are cooking, grind the masala in a spice grinder – coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds – with a little water into a coarse paste.
  4. When the bottlegourd is almost tender, add the ground masala and boil for 2-3 minutes until the bottlegourd and masala are fully cooked.
  5. Mash and add the cooked dal to the vegetables along with salt a needed.
  6. Heat oil in a small pan for the seasoning. Add hing and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Pour over the bottlegourd-spinach dal and stir.
  7. Let the dal come to a boil.
  8. Serve hot with hot rice and ghee or with roti.

Category: Dals and Soups, Dals and Soups - No-Onion No-Garlic, Vegan Dals and Soups

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