Lau with Moong Dal - Bottle Gourd with Moong Lentil

Bottle Gourd is yet another effective vegetable very good for people watching on their weight. 96% of Lauki or Bottle Gourd is plain water and hence it is very low in calorie. 100 gm serving of bottle gourd adds up to only 12 calories.

I was a member of a cooking forum in orkut and although I didn't know cooking at that time, I loved to take note of the recipes detailed there. Lau with Moong Dal is one such recipe posted by a member in the forum. This is the first time I tried my hand on it and needless to say, the turnout was scrumptious and healthy as bonus. Oh yes, you may omit the potatoes if you are extra health conscious, but for me and my hubby, potatoes just increase the flavour of this dish manifold.

Ingredients:                                         Cooking time: 30 minutes ü  1 medium size lau or Bottle Gourd (cut into small cubes) ü  1 potato (cut into cubes of small size) ü  10-12 dal bodis ü  1/2 tsp panchphoron ( a mix of five spices) ü  1/2 cup of moong lentil ü  Salt to taste ü  1 tbsp sugar ü  1 tsp turmeric powder ü  White oil for cooking ü  Coriander leaves (chopped) Method: 1) Heat oil in a wok. When oil turns hot, add dal bodis and brown them a bit. Take them off the flame and keep aside. Into the same oil add panchphoron and allow it to crackle. 2) Add moong lentil and fry till golden brown in color. 3) Add potato and shallow fry, stirring occasionally. 4) Toss in the bottle gourd. Add turmeric powder and cook covered till bottle gourd is half tender. 5) Add salt and sugar. Cook covered again till both potatoes and bottle gourd are cooked through. (Some bottle gourds release enough water to get themselves cooked in it and some don't. Mine didn't release water at all. So in order to keep the moist in, time and again, add few splashes of water.) 6) Stir the fried bodis into the curry once done. 7) Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti or rice.