Lau Bhaja Munger Dal is a summer delight!
It is light on the tummy and makes an amazing meal during warm summer days. I grew up eating this combination of bottle gourd with roasted mung beans and with steamed rice, it’s utterly comforting! Lau Bhaja Moong Daal is not only a treat for the taste buds but also a boon for health. Moong dal is rich in protein and fiber, making it a great addition to a balanced diet. Lau, or bottle gourd, is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C, vitamin B, and potassium. Together, they make a wholesome and nutritious meal.
Ingredients you need for Lau Diye Bhaja Munger Dal
Bottle Gourd: Try to get the small tender ones, as they don’t have a lot of big seeds inside, cook faster and tastes excellent. Bhaja Mung Dal: Mung Dal is Yellow Split Mung Beans. The lentil cooks to a lovely creamy texture, and it digests quite easily. We are dry roasting the Mung Beans before boiling. The roasting adds a very interesting smoky flavor to the dal which is the key flavor note in this dish. So definitely don’t skip this step. Ginger: Ginger gives a lovely pungent kick to this light lentil stew. Bay leaves: Almost all Bengali dal uses Bay Leaves. Try to use the dried ones and not the fresh bay leaf. Panch Phoron: Panch Phoron is a quintessential Indian Five Spice which is used in tempering with mustard oil. Here is a recipe link of Panch Phoron which you can easily make at home. Cumin and Coriander Powder: Just a bit of both the spice powder is added while preparing the dal. Ghee and Cilantro Leaves: Both are key factor in this dish to add that refreshing flavor. Y0u add it right at the end.
Steps to prepare
1- Start by dry roasting the lentils in medium low heat. You don’t need to add any oil. Use a heavy bottom pan so it cooks evenly without getting burnt. 2- I personally like to roast it to a very dark shade, but you stop once it turns a shade darker. 3- Wash the roasted mung beans gently so you don’t lose the smoky aroma. 4- Next, boil the lentil in a pan. I would say avoid pressure cooker or InstaPot. You want the lentils to have an al dente bite, and so I prefer boiling in a pan, so we can see the texture. 5- Peel the bottle gourd and don’t discard the peel. You can use it to make Lau Khosha Bhaja. Dice the bottle gourd into small bite size pieces. 6- In a heavy bottom pan or skillet, heat mustard oil and temper it with bay leaves and a little bit of paanch phoron. 7- Add the diced bottle gourd, season with salt and add a little bit of turmeric and suagr. Stir every thing to mix and then add the cumin powder. Cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes. 8- The texture of the cooked bottle gourd shouldn’t be mushy. It should have some texture. 9- Add the boiled lentils along with a little bit of water and mix it around. 10- Add the green chili and grated ginger. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. 11- Finish it with a dollop of ghee and finely chopped cilantro leaves. 12- Serve warm with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lime juice. Enjoy warm with rice. I prepare this dal on repeat, and it is utterly comforting when enjoying pipping hot with steamed white rice and ghee drizzled on top. MAKE HOMEMADE GHEE - It’s easy and will taste way better than the store bought bottle of ghee
Try these dishes with Bottle Gourd:
Lau Chingri Badami Lauki Kofta Zucchini Moong Dal Lau Er Khosha Bhaja
