Lauki Chana Daal (Bottle Gourd and Split Chickpea Curry)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana daal (split chickpeas), washed and soaked in water for at least 2 hours
• 500 g lauki (bottle gourd), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 750 ml water, for boiling the daal
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp ghee, for the tarka
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 2 dried whole red chillies
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), optional
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked chana daal and put it in a medium pot with the water, turmeric and half the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any foam.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover partly and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. The daal is ready for the next stage when it is nearly tender: a grain should crush easily between your fingers but still hold its shape.
3. While the daal cooks, heat the oil in a separate wide pan over medium heat. Fry the chopped onion for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and light golden.
4. Add the ginger paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and remaining salt.
5. Cook the masala for about 6 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with your spoon, until it is thick and the oil separates at the edges.
6. Add the lauki cubes and green chillies to the masala and stir for 2 minutes to coat the gourd.
7. Tip in the partly cooked daal along with its cooking liquid. Stir, cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, until the lauki is soft and translucent and the daal is completely tender. The curry should be thick but still spoonable; add a splash of hot water if it looks dry.
8. Stir in the garam masala and turn off the heat. Lightly mash a few pieces of lauki against the side of the pot to thicken the gravy.
9. For the tarka, heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and dried red chillies and let them sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds until the cumin darkens slightly, then add the hing if using.
10. Pour the hot tarka straight over the curry, cover for 2 minutes so the aroma settles in, then stir through the fresh coriander and serve.

Tips

• Soak the daal in the morning or the night before. Chana daal is firm and stays hard if it is not soaked long enough.
• Choose young, pale green lauki with smooth skin. Older ones have bitter, seedy centres, so scoop out any large seeds.
• Add the lauki only after the masala is cooked. It releases a lot of water and will dilute the flavour if it goes in too early.
• Do not brown the cumin too dark in the tarka; it turns bitter. Pour it over as soon as it smells toasted.