Golden gram with Green Bottle Gourd -(Lau Moong Dal - Bengali Style)

Golden Gram famously known as "Moong Dal" in India. Moong Dal is used for both savory and sweet dish. Here is a simple way of making the gram in Bengali style.

Ingredients :

1. Golden gram : 150 gm
2. Turmeric powder : 1/2 tea spoon
3. Cumin powder : 1/2 tea spoon
4. Green Chilly - 3-4 nos
5. Bottle Gourd - 150 gm (diced into cubes)
6. Indian Bay Leaf - 1nos
7. Dry red chilly - 1 nos
8.Panchphoron (mixture of mustard seed, cumin seed, black cumin, fenugreek seed,sweet cumin) - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Coriander leaf - for garnishing
10. Salt to taste
11. Mustard oil / rice barn oil - 20ml

Cut the bottle gourd into cubes.Drain the cubes with fresh water.Pour 5ml of oil in a wok and fry golden gram till it turns to light golden color. Put it in a pressure cooker and pour about 500ml of drinking water. Add one table spoon of iodized salt. Close the lid of pressure cooker and wait for 5-6 whistles from the cooker.In the wok pour about 10ml of oil and add dry red chilly , bay leaf ,and stir it for few seconds. Add panchporon mixture and keep stirring. Add diced pieces of bottle gourd , turmeric powder and cumin powderand cook in a low flame for 2-3minutes till the bottle gourd becomes soft.Add the whistled golden gram to wok and cook till it turns to yellow in color. Add salt to taste.Garnish with coriander leaf.

(Kindly Note: If you donot use coriander leaf for garnishing then add a tea spoon of ghee and a pinch  of sugar. This will enhance the taste of the gram.)

Serve hot with steamed rice.