LaukiChana Dal, Chanadallauki, laukichanadal, Lentil bottle Gourd curry

Lauki Chana Dal (Lentil and Bottle Gourd Curry)

While rainy days have a charm to them, nothing can make you feel lazier than a morning rain. Your early morning run gets cancelled and you just want to laze around in bed with a nice cup of coffee. I wanted to cook a simple and comforting dish for lunch so eventually, I managed to drag myself out of bed. I opened my fridge and found a beautiful slender piece of Lauki (bottle gourd) lying inside. That moment I decided that lunch was going to be Lauki Chana Dal (Lentil and Bottle Gourd Curry).

This is such a simple no-fuss curry dish. It is a healthy and wholesome meal that you just can’t go wrong with! I decided to keep this dish Satvik, which means that it is devoid of onion and garlic but feel free to add those ingredients if you like! I usually pair it with roti or rice but I occasionally consume it as a soup too! This delicious combination of Lauki or Doodhi or Ghiya (Bottle Gourd) and Chana Dal (Bengal Gram) is a good lunch box option also.

Try this super easy and yummy recipe and enjoy it with your family and friends! If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #theblissofcooking on Instagram. You may like to try our other similar recipes like Dhaba style Lauki Ki SabjiLauki Stew (Bottle Gourd) and Lauki Ka Kofta. 

LaukiChana Dal, Chanadallauki, laukichanadal, Lentil bottle Gourd curry

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients for Lauki Chana Dal

1 cup Chana dal soaked
500 grams bottle guard (lauki)
2 medium tomatoes
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)
1 bay leaf
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1+1 tablespoon chopped coriander

For the paste
3 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon ginger paste/chopped
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mango powder (amchur)
½ teaspoon black salt (Kala Namak)
½ teaspoon sugar

Directions for Chana Dal Lauki

  • Peel, wash and chop the lauki in cubes.
  • Cut each tomato into 4 pieces.
  • Pressure cook chana dal till half cooked. Now add the lauki, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Switch off and wait for the pressure to release.
  • Open the cooker, remove the tomatoes, peel them and mash coarsely. Set aside.
  • Heat ghee in a pan; add cumin, bay leaves and hing.
  • Add all the ingredients of the paste together in the water as mentioned in the ingredient section.
  • Add this paste mixture to the pan.
  • Saute till the ingredients thickens.
  • Add the mashed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander and saute till the tomatoes are mixed well with the masala paste and ghee starts to come out.
  • Add the cooked dal and lauki and let it boil on low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add the garam masala, switch off the heat, check the seasoning and add coriander.
  • Serve with roti, phulka and chapatti.

Note: If you like garlic, you can add it along with ginger in the paste. One can replace ghee with vegetable oil to make it vegan.

LaukiChana Dal, Chanadallauki, laukichanadal, Lentil bottle Gourd curry