Lau diye Tetor Dal | Bengali Bhaja Muger Dal Uchhe diye | Lentil with Bitter Gourd and Bottle Gourd
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Bengali
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Yellow Moong dal: ½ cup
  • Lau, bottle gourd: 6-8 large chunks
  • Uchche, Bitter Gourd: 2, large
  • Coconut, shredded or powdered: ¼ cup
  • Warm water: 2 cups
  • For Tempering Oil:
  • Virgin Mustard oil: 3 tbsp
  • Bay leaf: 1
  • Dry red chilli: 1
  • Panchforon, Bengali five spice: 1 tsp
  • Dry Spices:
  • Turmeric powder: 1½ tsp
  • Red chili powder: ½ tsp
  • Sugar: 1 tsp
  • Salt: 1½ tsp
Instructions
  1. Take a deep bottomed frying pan and dry roast yellow moong dal for 5-8 mins on low flame or until lentil changes colour to golden brown. A nice nutty smell will fill your home by now. Wash and clean the roasted lentil under running water.
  2. In the same pan dry roast coconut until slightly browned in colour. Set aside until needed.
  3. Cut uchchhe or bitter gourd into thin roundels and soak in water for 10 mins. Drain water and keep bitter gourd aside.
  4. Boil 2 cups of water in pressure cooker. When water starts boiling add salt, 1 tsp pounded ginger and few drops of oil. this oil will prevent spilling of dal.
  5. Now pressure cook lentil and large chunks of lau or bottle gourd until both are cooked yet firm (not mush).
  6. Heat oil in another clean deep bottomed pan and fry thinly sliced uchhe or bitter gourd with turmeric, salt and red chilli powder until crispy.
  7. Remove Uchche Bhaja aka fried Bitter Gourd from oil and keep on paper towels.
  8. Add bay leaf, dry red chilli, remaining ginger and panchforon in the remaining hot oil and allow to splutter. You may add ½ tsp of ghee to the hot mustard oil at this point if desired.
  9. Add previously boiled dal along with lau. Season the lentil with salt, sugar and turmeric powder and bring it boil.
  10. Add fried uchhe (bitter gourd) and roasted narkel kora (grated coconut) and give it a light stir.
  11. Add ½ cup warm water if you find the lentil is too thick for you and boil it for couple of minutes.
  12. Serve immediately with Groom Bhaat (steaming rice). A combo of Tetor Dal, Uchhe Bhaja (fried bitter gourd) Behun Bhaja (fried Eggplant), Alu Posto (potato in poppy seed paste) make a hearty warm vegetarian Bengali Thali (veg-meal).
Recipe by Scratching Canvas at http://www.scratchingcanvas.com/tetor-dal-lau-diye-recipe/