Lau Diye Chholar Dal For Lunch

Bengali food is full of diversity. A lot of dishes are very simple, with the most basic ingredients and yet taste absolutely delicious. These dishes are a regular part of lunch and dinner plates of Bengalis but are not seen as popular delicacies outside of it. But the truth is, these plain, comforting dishes make up the majority of Bengali cuisine. From the dal recipes to the chutney and the bhaja varieties – the cuisine is full of underrated gems. 

Lau diye chholar dal is one such dish that’s beauty lies in its simplicity. It is made with chholar dal and lauki, the latter being a vegetable that not everyone is fond of. When I was a child, the only way I would eat lauki was if my mother made it with chholar dal and lots of ghee. Along with steaming hot rice and some fritters, it would make for the perfect lunch meal. Let us look at the recipe for lau diye chholar dal. 

• 250 gms diced lauki 
• 2 cups chholar dal or chana dal 
• 1 tsp garam masala 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder 
• Salt as per taste 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1 bay leaf 
• Ghee 
• 1 tsp sugar 

Method

This is a one pot dish | Instagram - @shradzkitchen27

• In a pressure cooker, put the ghee. 
• Wait for the ghee to warm up, then add bay leaf. 
• Next, add the sugar and cumin seeds.
• When the seeds splutter, add the diced lauki. 
• Add salt and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes. 
• Now, add the washed chholar dal to it and stir well. 
• Add a tbsp of garam masala and continue cooking on medium flame for 5 minutes. 
• After the aroma of chholar dal comes out, close the pressure cooker after adding 2 cups of water. 
• Pressure cook till 5 whistles. Let the steam come off completely. 
• Add a little ghee and serve the dal with steamed rice or bhaat. 

This dish is so comforting, with the mildest of flavours that will make you want to take multiple servings of it. It is also a very healthy dish, so you can eat it guilt-free. Try this simple recipe and make your kids fall in love with lauki too!