Spinach-Bottlegourd Dal is a spicy South Indian lentil soup that tastes
delicious with plain rice. Bottlegourd is low in calories and fat and
high in water content and fiber and great for weight-loss. Spinach
contains a lot of iron, calcium, and fiber. Combined with the protein
in the red lentils, this vegetarian/vegan soup is a healthy addition to
any meal.
Servings: 4 Cooking Time: 20
minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup toor dal (red gram/lentil)
1 cup bottlegourd, cut into 1/-inch inch pieces
1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste
For Masala
1 tsp vegetable oil
4 tsp urad dal (split black gram)
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
Preparation
Cook the toor dal with 1 1/2 cups water and a pinch
of turmeric powder in a pressure
cooker for 3-4 whistles or boil separately until cooked.
While the dal is cooking, in a saucepan, boil the
bottlegourd pieces in a 1 1/2 cups water with
some salt and a little turmeric powder until almost tender. Add the
spinach and tamarind paste and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
For the masala, heat the oil in a small pan. Add the
asafoetida powder, urad dal, and mustard seeds and fry until the dal is
golden and the mustard pops. Remove in a bowl to cool. Add the red
chillies and fry until browned and let cool. In a small (coffee
grinder) grinder, powder all these ingredients into a coarse powder and
set aside.
Add the masala powder to the bottlegourd and let it
cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Mash the cooked toor dal and add to the bottlegourd
along with 1 cup water and salt as needed, and let the
spinach-bottlegourd dal come to a boil. Remove from heat.
Serve the spinach-bottlegourd dal with plain rice,
ghee (clarified butter) and pappadums.
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