MOONG DAL LAU ER JHALI

Lau / Lauki / Bottle Gourd is an integral part of a Bengali household, in fact of an Indian household. I love every part of it, from the "aga to doga" to it's skin. Our families eat it every week. I have not done any research on it's health benefits, neither can give you a clear idea as health experts would. I grew up hearing "lau pet thanda korey", that bottle gourd is a body coolant. Even when I did not love vegetables, I loved having bottle gourd because it was either prepared with fresh water fish heads, prawns or dal vadi / dal er bori, all of them I so love. For the excitement of getting to have a couple of "bori or chingri or maacher matha", I used to eat the bottle gourd too; now I enjoy having a vegetarian dish too with this wonder vegetable given a star status by that hilarious Yoga Guru of India. There are two-three dishes our families do combining yellow moong and bottle gourd; lau dhonepata diye bhaja moong er dal, ucche bhaja, lau diye kancha moong er dal and this  MOONG DAL LAU ER JHALI using shredded, de-skinned bottle gourd, roasted skinless yellow moong, bay leaf & dry red chilli to temper, few slitted green chillies, salt & turmeric, a bit of sugar. There is no complex engineering required to prepare this dish, yet it is a soul satisfying adventure to have with steamed rice or chapati.

I am too tired today. Yesterday, about two hours in the mid-morning I comb searched for baking powder & whole wheat flour locally without any result. I came back home around 12:45 pm and got busy doing those instant jilipi / jalebi. They tasted good but I need lot more learning and practice to perfect them.

I had them fresh which tasted good; juicy & crisp. The rest had them hours later when it already turned soggy; still tasty if you have a sweet tooth. However, I have decided not to buy them anymore but do at home. Then, I had my lunch and within an hour, I had set out on foot to the old neighbourhood for atta which is wrong. I try to avoid taking public transport, moreover my exercise of the day would not have been done. I had to cook noodles at night. With a 5kg packet of atta, I had to take the MRT on the way back. About the husband and his car, the government is allowing only one person in private vehicles if I have not read wrong, I never can drive alone. Baking Powder I did not get; I did not wish to queue near Phoon Huat, neither had access to NTUC as I was not carrying any  of my identity cards. Smaller shops are all closed; only 7Eleven, big & minimarts are open. Back home again I had a jilipi. By the time I learn trying to perfect them, let me share with you a Bengali, family recipe with bottle gourd & roasted yellow moong dal; MOONG DAL LAU ER JHALI. Both sides of my family cook it regular during summer; the in-law's side do it at more frequency. My / Our sports & yoga enthusiast parents made bottle gourd mandatory after it was given a star status by that Indian Yoga Guru. I always warned them not to consume his products but only to follow his exercise regime.

INGREDIENTS :

YELLOW MOONG / SKINLESS, HALVED MOONG BEAN : 1/2 MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP [I USE FINE GRAIN SHONA MOONG VARIETY, YOU CAN USE THE NORMAL VARIETY]

BOTTLE GOURD : 1/2 OF A NORMAL SIZED

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

DRY RED CHILLI : 2

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1/2 TSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Bottle Gourd comes in various shapes & sizes; it's colour too varies from light green to deeper green. Here, I find the below variety easier to cook, it's easily available too!

Since I have used very small sized yellow moong variety / shona moong er dal I get from Kolkata, I boiled it easily in a normal vessel without soaking the roasted lentil for hours. If you are using the normal lentil variety, you have to pressure cook the roasted dal or soak it in hot water for at least few hours. I presume most of you are like me and do not wish to save on the fuel.

I dry roasted the yellow moong beans, washed them and took in a heavy bottomed vessel. I added about 3 coffee mugs of water, a little of salt & turmeric to it. I had given a stir and put it for boil at the minimal heat. We need to cover it 80% & not full. Remember we have to take it down once 60% -70% done.

While the dal is boiling, we will peel off the portion of the bottle gourd we are using. We will cut it half & further. I always prefer buying gourds as young as possible though here they tend to eat overgrown stuffs. So, discard the seeds too. 

Wash the pieces and put them in a vessel full of water. Start shredding each pieces. Cristine does it for me using a manual shredder. Once done, drain the water and marinate with salt and rest of the turmeric. 

In between, we need to check with the dal too. If it requires some water, add a bit of hot water. We must remember after it is 60% to 70% done, it should be dry and not watery. We cannot allow the lentil to burn either. 

Next, we have to heat the oil and temper it with the cumin seeds, bay leaf, halved dried red chillies. We will give a stir and add the shredded bottle gourd along with the marinade now. We will give a stir and cover cook it at minimal heat for 12-15 minutes.

We will open cover and add the boiled lentil, washed and slitted green chillies; adjust the salt too. We  will fold in well, cook it uncovered for at minimal heat for 10 minutes or until half dry. We will add the sugar, stir and cook further for two minutes.

We had it with rice. It will go with chapati too.