Dudhi chana ni daal

There are some dishes which remind you of home more than others. Dudhi chana ni daal is one of them. One of the quintessential Gujarati dishes, no one in school or among our friends here had heard of it. So when I would meet cousins and relatives here, this was high on my request list. Now I do make it myself and enjoy it with hot fluffy rotis or fragrant basmati. It is also a 2-in-1 meal where the daal and sabzi's are cooked together. Add a side of mango pickle or papads for some spice.

Ingredients:

1 cup chana daal

1 1/2 cups (4 inch long and 3 inches thick piece) dudhi (bottle gourd)

1 tablespoon oil

Pinch hing

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/4 teaspoon raee (mustard seeds)

2 cloves garlic

1 inch knob of ginger, minced

3-4 green chilies, slit through the middle

1/6 teaspoon turmeric

1 square inch jagerry cube

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Coriander for adding in and garnish

Salt

Soak the chana daal for atleast 2 hours. Peel and cube the dudhi. Pressure cook the daal along with the dudhi for 2 whistles. Let the cooker cool naturally. In a large pot, add the daal and 3 cups of water. Add more or less water to achieve desired consistency. Add the chilies, ginger, jagerry, turmeric and chili powder and bring to a boil. In a small seasoning vessel, heat the oil. Add hing, jeera, raee. When it starts to crackle, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the dudhi and the seasoning to the daal (after 1st boil). Add salt to taste and boil for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Finally add a tablespoon of chopped coriander. Serve hot garnished with some more coriander.