Lauki Chana Dal is a healthy North Indian curry made with bottle gourd (lauki) and bengal gram (chana dal). The dal is cooked until soft and simmered with onions, tomatoes, green chillies and spices. This recipe can be made in a stovetop pressure cooker, pan or Instant Pot. Serve warm with roti or paratha.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 1.5 to 2 cups chopped lauki ((bottlegourd))
  • ¼ cup chana dal ((split and husked bengal gram or split chickpea))
  • 1 medium onion, (finely chopped)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, (finely chopped)
  • 1 green chili, (chopped)
  • 1 inch ginger, (finely chopped)
  • ½ or ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon punjabi garam masala (or regular garam masala)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing) - optional)
  • ½ to ¾ cup water for pressure cooking
  • 1.5 to 2 tablespoon oil (or ghee)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
  • salt as required

Method

Soaking chana dal

  1. Rinse the chana dal in fresh water a couple of times. Then soak the chana dal for atleast 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
  2. Drain water from the chana dal and keep aside.

Making lauki chana dal

  1. Heat oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Crackle the cumin first.
  2. Add the onions and saute stirring often till they become translucent.
  3. Add the ginger and green chilies and saute for 10 to 15 seconds.
  4. Now add the tomatoes and all the dry spice powders. Saute till the tomatoes soften. Keep on stirring.
  5. The oil should start releasing from the onion-tomato masala.
  6. Now add the chana dal and stir. Add the chopped lauki (bottle gourd) and salt as required. Pour water and stir.
  7. Cover with the lid and pressure cook for about 4 to 5 whistles on a high heat.
  8. If there is lots of liquid in the sabzi, then simmer without the lid to dry the liquids.
  9. This lauki chana dal gravy has a medium consistency.
  10. When the pressure drops on its own, then only remove the lid and stir the chopped coriander leaves.
  11. You can also garnish the curry with coriander leaves. Serve lauki chana dal hot with phulkas or rotis.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.