Lau die tetor daal/ Moong daal with bottle gourd and bitter gourd

Tetor daal is cooked in many Bengali households mostly during summer. This is because, bitter gourds are available in summer and this daal is very soothing for the stomach when it is hot outside. With winter approaching this was my last tetor daal of the season. Tetor daal can be made just with bitter gourd. However, I have added some lau/ lauki or bottle gourd to give a veggie twist to my daal. Hope you like it.

Course: Main course

Cuisine: (Bengali)Indian

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of split yellow/moong daal
• 1 karela/bittergourd thinly sliced
•  2 dry red chilies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 cup of lau/lauki/bottle gourd peeled and diced
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon of radhuni/ wild celery or mustard seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of mustard/cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon of  sugar

Directions

1. Dry roast the moong daal for 5-8 minutes till the lentils turn brownish in color.
2. Was the moong daal properly and pressure cook along with the bottle gourd pieces.
3. Take a pan and heat oil in it. Now, add the bitter gourd and fry them. After the frying is done, keep the bitter gourds aside
4. Temper the oil with radhuni, red chilies and bay leaf. (In case radhuni is not available mustard seeds can be used)
5. Now, add the cooked lentils to the pan along with the fried bitter gourds, salt, sugar, grated ginger and turmeric powder.
6. Simmer the daal till you achieve the desired consistency.
7. Serve the daal hot with steamed rice.