Quinoa, barley and wild rice salad

another light lunch for Red Chilies

My five year old loves going to the museum and can spend hours roaming the corridors. Before you get any ideas about his artistic abilities, let me explain. It is a children’s museum which allows him and kids like him to play and experiment with things one doesn’t normally get to do at home. There are basins of water with toy boats to study water flow and mechanics of water dams. There are rooms filled with crayons and scissors and balloons and wooden blocks to build lofty buildings and break them down.

Water fun at the museum

For once, the parents trail behind the kids while they lead the way from one room to another. I have to admit sometimes we too get sucked into the excitement of building a castle with disposable plastic glasses. What kid would not like to spend hours in a museum built just for him and his friends?  We make a trip down to the museum at least once a month if not more.

Quinoa, wild rice salad with curly fries

For all the good things our city’s children’s museum offers, it lacks sorely on the good eats front. The café offers greasy cheese pizzas and sad looking macaroni and cheese for the kids, both of which my kid refuses to eat (not that I am complaining). For the adults, especially if one is vegetarian, there is very limited offering and what there is of is loaded with grease and salt. They do make excellent curly fries and the kid will eat them happily with ketchup. To supplement the fries, I carry a healthy snack for him and he eats that with the fries. For the adults, I make a quinoa salad with lots of fruits, veggies and nuts. I vary the salad ingredients, sometimes adding wild rice to it, sometimes barely and other times, all three of them.

With strawberries

Gajar Mooli paranthas (Carrot, radish flatbreads)

First of light lunches for Red Chilies

So paranthas, those Indian flatbreads made by shallow frying them in oil, are not what you would call a light lunch, especially if it is paired by chole or a similar kind of gravy. But in my house, we like to eat them with a light sabzi of aloo mattar (potatoes and peas) or even with some yogurt or lassi. I am sure Supriya of Red Chilies will agree that this one qualifies for a light lunch.

Now, if you are a fan of  Red Chilies you must be aware of the month long event featuring light lunches being showcased there. If you are a regular of my blog you must be aware of my blog's irregular postings. Anyways, a couple of months ago when Supriya did her first event, Dosa Month at RC, I almost smacked myself in the head. I had been thinking of an idea along similar lines to increase my involvement with DSM but never got around to execute it.

The gracious host that she is, Supriya said I could do it with her. So here I am following her lead to announce that I too will be posting light lunches this whole month. If you have a recipe for a light lunch, anything from sandwiches, salads to rice preparation and anything in between, post it and link it to Supriya's announcement. Head on over to her blog to check for rules. She will do the roundup at the end of the month. Not only that, she has a Taste of Home cookbook giveaway for one lucky winner in the US or Canada.

With mango pickle

I grew up taking these paranthas to school in my lunch box and eating them rolled up and dunked in tea for an evening snack. You can make them in a big stack, wrap in foil and they will keep in the refrigerator for a week. I made these after a long time because of a radish, carrot surplus from our local organic farm. We have started buying produce from an organic farm in our area. Every Sat morning we go up to the farm to fill our grocery bag with produce the owner has picked up that morning. We never know what we will get and this time around he went and got a whole bunch of radishes along with red kale, broccoli, carrots, onions, turnips and a big bunch of herbs.

Plucked off the ground

American radishes do not have the sharp, almost pungent taste that the Indian mooli has but it comes very close to it. However, kneaded in the dough with carrots, cilantro and green chilies, they transform the humble parantha into a delicious, almost gourmet tortilla.

Gajar Mooli Paranthas

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups grated radishes and carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (add more if you like)
3-4 green chilies, chopped fine
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp ajwain (caraway seeds)
2 tsp sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
Grate the radishes and carrots, add a little salt and keep aside. Radishes have some water content which is released if you salt them and keep aside for some time.

Meanwhile, finely chop the green chilies and the cilantro. Heap the whole wheat flour in a large, shallow, plate. Add salt, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, ajwain and red chili powder. Mix well.

Red, Yellow, Orange, Green of the kneaded dough

Add the cilantro, green chilies and grated carrot-radish. Use the rendered water from the radishes to knead the dough. If need be, add some more water to make a stiff but pliable dough. Cover and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet. Make slightly larger than golf sized balls from the dough, flatten with your palms and dredge it in some flour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Slap the rolled out disc on to the hot griddle. Wait for a minute and then turn over. Spread about a teaspoon of oil on the cooked side, flip it over and spread another teaspoon on the other side. Press it down and cook till red spots appear on both sides.

Repeat with the rest of the doug and stack the paranthas like above. Once cooled, store in an airtight container or foil. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and can be warmed up in the microwave or skillet as needed.

If you are not familiar with the art of making paranthas, here is a video which should give you a pretty good idea of how to make it.

Note: The videos of gajar mooli parantha I found were all for stuffed paranthas. I find stuffing and rolling out paranthas this way too tedious. I prefer to knead the flour very much the same way one makes a methi thepla. This video, which is for methi theplas, should give you an idea of what I am talking about. Just substitute the fenugreek for radishes and carrots.

Of eggs, onions, strawberries and hot dogs

She heard his audible sigh as he passed the dining room. She was busy taking pictures of juicy, fresh strawberries she had picked up that morning at the farmer's market. "How does he not get it still?" she wondered. She had been blogging for over a year now and as she had gotten more involved with her blog, she had started experimenting more with different cuisines, with photography techniques and with social media. She spent a pretty good amount of time on twitter and facebook and she had a respectable following.

How could she not get addicted to this wonderful medium? Living in a foreign land, this was her way to connect with people from all over the world. She had made friends, shared her frustrations and joys with them and a lot of times learned from them.

Just the other day, Supriya had taught her how to use manual mode on her point and shoot camera. She hadn't fully understood the technicalities of aperture and zoom, but she was excited and eager to experiment. The strawberries were the perfect subject.

She knew she sometimes got carried away and neglected to attend to everything else. Hence his deep sigh of resignation.  She realized she had been at it for almost an hour. It was past breakfast time and he was probably hungry. Come to think of it, she was hungry too.

MLLA roundup and the winners

Let me start by thanking Susan for her patience with me in posting the roundup almost a week later than promised. I would also like to thank all the wonderful bloggers who participated with so much enthusiasm and some with as much as five entrees. Clearly, legumes rule your kitchens.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had no idea how popular her event is and the deluge of entrees was overwhelming. But fret not, I have it under control and here’s the round up, excluding a few entrees who did not follow one of the rules, mainly that of linking their entrees to both Susan’s and my event announcement pages. Apart from that, I think I have everyone covered. If I still missed someone, do let me know and I will do the needful.

The roundup is posted in the order in which the entrees were received by me. The winners were generated by a random generator and Ambrosia wins any cookbook or food-related book from Amazon U.S. valued at not more than 15 USD for the book itself. This prize is offered by Susan at her expense and she will also absorb worldwide shipping charges. So Richa Priyanka, go ahead and chose that cookbook you always wanted.

The second winner is Shanavi of Kitchen Secrets and will receive a case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Beans. Susan will get in touch with you shortly. I have omitted the photos because that is the way I have done most of my roundups. My apologies if you  were expecting about 70 photos in this post.

Now to the roundup:

1. Fan Fried Steak by Toreviewtoronto


2. Chole Masala by rakshaskitchen

3. Chana Tondak or Goan Chana Masala by Rakshaskitchen

4. Split Pea and Broccoli Curry by Kitchen Alchemist

5. Makhmali Choliya Kabab by of Ribbons and Pasta

6. Rajma Palak, also by Ribbons and Pasta

7. Arhar Dal with Kathal by Saltiepie

8. Unfried Green Tomatoes by Sra of When My Soup Came Alive

9. Chane ka Nimona by My Life and Spice

10. Brazilian Black Bean Soup by The Taste Space

11. Mixed Dal Spice Powder by Enveetu Kitchen

12. Cauliflower Chickpea Curry by Veg Inspirations

13. Ven Pongal by Cooking with Siri

14. Green gram lentils in scrambled eggs by Bon Appetit

15. Crunchy Mung Bean Snack by Veg Inspirations

16. Humus with Sun Dried Tomatoes by Food and Spice

17. Thothakura Pappu by Kitchen Flavors

18. Kadhi by Litebite

19. Mullangi Sambar by Sensibleveg

20. Curried Barely Green Peas and Mixed Vegetable Soup by Zesty South Indian Kitchen

21. Spiced Garbanzo Beans by Asan Khana

22. Dodakkaya Bajji by Srav's Culinary Concepts

23. Masala Vadai by Kitchen Secrets

24. Kollu Dosai or Horsegram Crepes by PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds

25. Greengram Sprouts & Soya Masala Vadas by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

26. Quinoa Mixed Dals Dosa also by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

27. Arachivitta Sambar by Krithi's Kitchen

28. Corn Peas Vada by Nirmala’s Kitchen

29. Sindhi Style Toor Dal by Ribbons and Pasta

30. Muthira Puzhukku or Horsegram Curry by Palakkad Chamayal

31. Bhaja Muger Dal or Roasted Mung Soup by Soma of eCurry

32. Bean Burgers by Foodie Workz

33. Gatte ki Sabzi by Nicks n Jits Kitchen

34. Punjabi kadhi Pakora by Nicks n Jits Kitchen

35. Jaisalmeri Chane by Nicks n Jits Kitchen

36. Missi Roti by Nicks n Jits Kitchen

37. Khaman by Nicks n Jits Kitchen

38. Varutharacha Sambar by Mélange!!

39. Bhare Baghare Tamatar or Stuffed tomatoes by Flavours and Tastes

40. Falafel by Wheat Free Meat Free

41. Baked Falafels in Home made whole wheat pita pockets by Oh Taste n See

42. Cilantro and Green Garbanzo Pulav by Oh Taste n See

43. Tofu Methi Thepla by Oh Taste n See

44. Sweet n Sour Mango Tofu by Oh Taste n See

45. Bitter Gourd Pitlai by Spicy Life

46. Toor Dal Chutney by Curry In Kadai

47. Red Bean Pancake by Malaysian Delicacies

48. Chhole Masala by Ambrosia

49. Besan Paratha by Indian Food Rocks

50. Sprouted Black chickpea Curry by Hobby and More

51. Osaman or Clear Lentil Soup by Vegetarian Tastebuds

52. Chinese Five Spice Shortbread by Susan at The Well Seasoned Cook

53. Grain-Free Vegan Chocolate Fruit Tart by City Life Eats

54. Mung Dal tadka by Veggie Affair

55. White Peas Sundal by Sugar n’ Spice

56. Medhu Vadai by Sugar n’ Spice

57. Mixed Dal Vadai by Sugar n’ Spice

58. Chana Masala by Sugar n’ Spice

59. Moong Dal Payasam by Sugar n’ Spice

60. Carrot Lentil Salad by Red Chillies

61. Jamaican Rice and Beans with Mangoes by Saffronstreaks

62. Humus and Falafel Wraps by The V Kitchen

63. Aamer Dal by The V Kitchen

64. Vegetarian Chilli with Mixed Nuts Paste by Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes

65. Chholar Dal by Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes

66. Mung Beans Dumplings by Queen of My Kitchen

67. Adzuki Beans Sauce by Good Eats Corner

68. Paanch Ratan Dal by Shy's Kitchen Chronicles

69. Lauki and Chana Dal by Desi Soccer Mom

70. Masoor Dal by Desi Soccer Mom

This months's MLLA-35 is being hosted at Kannada Cuisine, so head on over there to enter your delicious legume entrees.

The 3s equation, a masoor dal and a MLLA deadline

Today is the last day to submit your entrees for this month’s MLLA-34 hosted on this blog. I knew MLLA was a popular event but I had no idea how much. My inbox has been deluged with entrees, ok, not deluged, but I have been getting a couple of entrees every day since I announced the event. It is astounding. If you still haven’t posted your lentil creation, now is the time. The clock is ticking.

I have already managed to post one entry and in it I promised Susan I will post another one. This one is a simple masoor dal which accidently got sprouted because I got busy dealing with those pesky things in life that come in threes. I have heard all my life that all things come in threes and I always hoped they are all good things. No such luck. Here’s how it all went down:

My laptop is an extension of my blogger and student self. I write my blog posts on it, edit photos in picassa, write essays, do homework and take my online class on it. For all the important tasks it helps me accomplish, I do not take particularly good care of my laptop. It sits on my lap when I am lounging on the couch, watching TV and doing my home work. It sometimes slides to the carpet if I turn around to grab an occasional snack from the side table or to plug the power cord in. So far, it has come about relatively unscathed.

The universe or the laptop must have lost patience with my clumsiness. One day last week, when it slid to the ground for the 100th time, it fell on the side where the power cord was plugged in. I did not realize till an hour late that the battery wasn’t charging because the fall had broken the thin little plug. The very next day, I walked into an electronics store to buy a new power cord. The bill at the register: $80! Not a small price to pay for a moment of clumsiness. I was dismayed to say the least.

The bumper, propped up.

On my way back, I had to pick the kid up from preschool and guess what? I got into a fender bender at a yield sign. The car (read tank) I crashed into was a Chevy Tahoe, which did not seem to have a single scratch. My sedan on the other hand had a loose bumper and a smashed headlight. This was my first accident in ten years since I started driving. I wasn’t hurt, nor was the driver of the Chevy. I was surprised at how calm I was, pulling into the nearby parking lot and making phone calls to a friend to pick the kid up from preschool. I called the preschool to let them know my friend was going to pick the kid up.

Only then did I turn my attention to the Chevy driver who was busy taking pictures of both the cars with his cell phone camera. We exchanged insurance information; he helped me prop up the now hanging bumper and drove away. I on the other hand sat for ten minutes in the car, shaking and trying to comprehend the last half an hour. The whole experience was so surreal, I found myself shaking and on the verge of tears.

It took me about ten minutes to gather myself before driving back home, which was five minutes from the scene of the accident. As if the unnecessary expense of the power adaptor and now the possible hassle of dealing with the insurance adjusters and repair shop wasn’t enough, two days later, our lawn fence fell down due to high winds we get this time around in Tx. It was a big 15 foot section which fell and normally I am all for breaking down fences. But this time around, there was the question of our HOA who are very strict about matters of outdoor appearance.

The wind blown fence.

The neighbors we share the fence with have three dogs who were suddenly confined indoors and it was hard to see them looking out longingly at the sunny lawn. Phone calls to fence companies followed for a week, getting quotes and conferring with the neighbors. Those were the three things, none of them good, that disrupted our normally calm lives in a single week.

Sprouted masoor

It is a good thing I have a good network of friends on twitter and facebook. I got plenty of support and encouragement from Soma, Manisha, Susan and some of the readers who follow me on twitter and facebook. I had also put the word out that I was looking for a spare hp adapter, and a few days later, my best friend Erin called back to say she had not one but two spares from two separate kaput laptops. I met her for lunch and good conversation and came home $80 richer for it.

Meanwhile, the car is in the repair shop and the fence is still down. I do have about a dozen estimates for fence repair and we should have a new fence in a couple of weeks.

While the stress of threes is ebbing away, I have to contend with the fact that my semester finals are drawing to a close. That means, finishing off three essays for the English class, a power point presentation and a final exam for the Computer Application class and a final third exam for the history class. I am done with the PowerPoint presentation and two essays but I still have a final exam and one more essay to write by Sat. The history exam is next Monday. Looks like I am stuck with the 3s equation for a while.

Yesterday, after reading up three history chapters, I turned my attention to the sprouting masoor that had been pushed to the back of the fridge. He came home just as I was finished prepping for it. He had bought some fresh trout from the store. Two whistles in the cooker for the masoor while the trout sat in a rub of salt, black pepper and red chili powder. I rolled a few chapattis, grilled the trout on my cast iron skillet and dinner was ready.

Sprouted Masoor Dal

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sprouted masoor
1/4 cup chopped onions
3-4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

For tadka:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafetida powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala

Method:
Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds. Turn the heat to medium low and add turmeric and asafetida. As they turn fragrant in a few second, add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Stir around till the onions are translucent and the garlic tender.
Add garam masala and red chili powder. Cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Cover and let the tomatoes soften before adding the sprouted masoor.
Add salt to taste, some vegetable stock or water to cover. Bring to a boil on high heat, put the lid on. Let the lentils cook on medium heat for two whistles. Turn off the heat, let the pressure subside, transfer to a platter and serve with rotis and a nice piece of grilled fish of your choice.

The final dinner.

Note: Masoor can be cooked in a pan instead of a cooker, since it doesn’t take long to cook. Cook till it is tender but still has a bite to it.
You don’t have to sprout it, but it is recommended that you soak it for a couple of hours.
Add more garam masala if you prefer it spicy. I love the taste of masoor itself, so I try not to overwhelm the dal with too much spice.

A couple of parting notes:

While I juggle the final week of Spring semester, I decided to make a DSM page for those readers who would like to connect with me on fb but prefer not to invade my private space. If you belong to that category, there is a link on the top left corner that should take you to the DSM page on fb. If you would rather follow me on twitter, search for Desisoccermom there.

I will leave you with this link and announcement to Sra’s blog where she announced the revival of Of Chalks & Chopsticks, an event started by Aqua. If you have a food related tale to spin, this is the event for you.

Business of being busy and an easy okra stir fry

This week has been busier than usual for me. Since it is Easter this Friday, the kid’s school had an Easter egg hunt on Monday. For the uninitiated, the hunt involves each kid carrying about a dozen candy filled plastic eggs to school and handing them over to the teacher. The teacher collects all the eggs, scatters them in the playground and lets the kids loose to hunt for a dozen eggs. One hopes that the kid doesn’t come back with the same eggs he turned in the first place. I ended up filling up two dozen of the multicolored ovals, because the kid got invited to a friend’s backyard Easter egg hunt the very next day.

 Eggs, eggs and more eggs.

Maybe it’s just me, but the last thing a five year old needs is two dozen candy filled eggs. Thankfully, my kid cares only for the occasional bouncy ball that may find its way in one of the eggs. The candy, he just dumps out or shares it with his friends.
If two Easter egg hunts weren’t exciting enough, we finally finished staining and filling up the 6x6 sandbox that he finished building last week. It had been sitting empty for almost a week before our good neighbors helped us haul 33 bags of sand back home. After an hour of hauling and emptying the 50 lb bags, the sandbox was full, the kid was happy and we were exhausted.

Yes, it is as big as it looks! (6X6)

No dinner was cooked that day. We had some eggs and bread, the kid a rava bhakri, which will be a post for another day. Today, after another exhausting day of dentist appointment, bathroom cleaning and carting the kid to and fro from school, the dinner was simple. The kid had dosas with leftover dal from the morning. He got a vegetable Panini for me from his office canteen which I had with some guacamole that he made and a few asparagus that I stir fried on the skillet.

For him, I made bhendi chi kurkurit bhaji (stir fried crispy okra). I say for him, because I have never liked the slimy vegetable, even though it turns crunchy and not-at-all-slimy when cooked to a crisp on slow to medium flame. But he likes it, so every so often I will pick up a bunch of okra for him. He likes it with a little bit more oil than usual and with lots of caramelized onions. So that’s how I make it.

Bhendi, Bhindi, Okra, ladyfinger. A cross-section of the slimy veggie

Do you see a pattern here that I mentioned in my last post, about doing things for each other? Though I have to admit, cooking okra this way is ridiculously simple, with just red chili powder and salt to spice it up. However, I am told that the sweetness of the caramelized onions and the crisp bite of the okra is a divine combination. My brother and sister swear by it and so does my better half. So, I give you bhendi chi kurkurit bhaji, which loosely translates to crispy stir fried okra.
I do have a few tips at the end of the post to get the crisp okra that is so desired but so easy to mess up into a slimy sludge. So do read them carefully before you go chopping and stirring some okra and onions in your pan.

Bhendichi Kurkurit Bhaji

Ingredients:
1-2 tblsps oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 cups of chopped onion, preferably red
2 cups of okra, cut into thin circles or slim stripes
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a wide pan and add the mustard seeds. As they start to sputter, lower the heat, add the turmeric powder and stir. Quickly add the red chili powder and the chopped onions, followed by the okra.
Our goal here is to minimize stirring in order to prevent possible sliminess that may occur. Sprinkle salt to taste, gently stir everything and cook uncovered on medium low flame for 20-25 minutes or till cooked through and crispy. Stir in between as needed. Serve with chappatis, dal and rice.

Tips:
Try to stir the okra as little as possible. The more you stir, the slimier it will get.
Do not and I repeat, Do Not, cover the pan at any stage of cooking the okra. It will get slimy.
Try to use a pan with a bigger surface area so as not to crowd the okra and subsequently steam it. The less crowded it is, the less slimy it will be.
Don’t put any water or liquids of any sort in the pan.

Made for each other – Lauki and Chana

This post was waiting to be written for the last few days and not the least because I am hosting MLAA-34. As a host, it would be rude of me not to cook a legume based dish. Yet, every time I sat down to write, some distraction would occupy me before I had to call it a night. Yesterday, it was this rant of Sandeepa over at Bong Mom's Cookbook. She took the words out of my mouth when she questioned why women swoon over a husband who does simple chores around the house and call the woman he is married to lucky.

As one of those “lucky woman” I can tell you, my better half does do a lot around the house, from making the weekly vegetable stock, to making the daily morning tea, unloading the dishwasher and cooking the  occasional risotto. But he does the chores around the house for the same reasons I do the rest of the drudge work and duties of a chauffeur, teacher and entertainer for our five year old. It is a marriage and a partnership where everyone pitches in to the best of their abilities.

As a gesture of appreciation for all that I do around the house, he tries to keep the work stations clean and dishes to a minimum when he cooks. I, on the other hand, cook his favorite vegetables, as and when it suits my fancy. Like lauki (bottle gourd) cooked with chana dal, which incidentally is also my favorite way of eating this bland vegetable. I like my chana to have a bite to it but since he likes his mushy, I make a concession for him and pressure cook the concoction to his liking. I do draw the line at his mom’s bhakri which is a thick tortilla made with stiff dough of whole wheat flour mixed with turmeric, red chili powder and plenty of oil. It takes a lot of muscle to roll out those delicious rounds of dough and after one try, I decided I did not care much for making them.

Lauki, dudhi, bottlegourd.

Capture by: Manisha of Indianfoodrocks

The lauki chana dal sabzi, on the other hand, is quick, almost fool proof and is a “made-for-each-other-combo”. At least that is what I wrote when Manisha put up her photo of lauki dal on Facebook and my comment got an instant ‘like’ for it. So Susan, here is, hopefully, the first of my at least two submissions to your brilliant event.

Lauki Chana Dal

Ingredients:
4 cups of lauki , peeled and cut into bite size chunks
1/4 cup chana dal, soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours
1 small tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 vegetable stock or water

For tadka or tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafetida
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp dhana-jeera (cumin coriander) powder
1 tsp garam masala or sabzi masala
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a 3 or 4ltr pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds, asafetida and minced garlic. Turn down the heat so the garlic cooks and softens but does not burn. Add the turmeric; stir it till the raw smell turns fragrant.
Drain the water from the chana dal and toss it in the garlic, cumin, and turmeric infused oil. Add a dash of salt, stir, and let cook for two minutes. Add the red chili powder, dhana-jeera and garam masal. Stir and add the chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes get mushy.

Cross section of dudhi/ lauki/ bottlegourd.
Courtesy: Indianfoodrocks

Add the chopped lauki, salt to taste, mix everything gently. Add the vegetable stock and bring everything to a gentle boil. Put on the lid and pressure cook for one whistle.
Wait for the pressure to subside, transfer the dal lauki to a serving bowl, garnish with coriander and serve with rotis.

Note: The spice proportions are what work for me. However, lauki being a bland vegetable as well of varying sizes, feel free to add more of the red chili or garam masala if you like it spicier. The above proportions are for the big lauki I had, which yielded four cups chopped.

If, for some reason, you do not own a pressure cooker, cook the lauki and chana dal in a lidded pot. Cook till the chana dal is tender and the lauki is cooked through.

A reader of mine in India once wrote to me that she found my baingan bharta bland because she followed the exact spice proportion in the recipe. I will reiterate what I told her, “Taste buds in our family are somewhat dulled from living in the US. Always go with your normal proportion and gut when adding spices and/or heat to any recipe on this blog, unless stated otherwise.” So, go ahead, don’t hesitate before adding that extra pinch of garam masala.