Chana dal with Lauki

This recipe is inspired from http://kajaldreams.blogspot.com/

I was sceptical about the red chilli-garlic paste, but since I had seen through her other recipes and had liked them, I decided to give it a try. It did taste good!!

Ingredients

Lauki cubed 1 cup
Chana Dal (Bengal gram) 1 cup
1\2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste
Oil, cumin seeds, dry red chillies for seasoning
1 tbsp garlic red chilli paste (I ground about 4 cloves of garlic and 4-5 red chillies to a coarse paste)

Method

1. Cook the chana dal in 3 cups of water till almost mushy.
2. Heat oil in kadai. Add the seasonings, and stir till done.
3. Add lauki, turmeric powder, salt, garlic-red chilli paste and cook till laukis get soft and the raw smell of garlic goes.
4. Add the chana dal. Mix well and cook for 5-6 mins.
5. Add a dash of lemon juice to your taste.

Serve hot with chapiti.

Moong dal with Chow-chow

This is a very simple and delicious kootu, goes well with phulkas. No masala whatsoever!
I learnt it from my Ma.

Ingredients
Moong dal(split, yellow) 1/2 cup
Chow-chow chopped 1 cup
Sambar powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped onion 1 small
Green chillies to taste
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds
Oil 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the moong dal well. 
2. Add the moong dal, or chow-chow, sambar powder, salt, a cup of water and cook for 10-15 mins, till the dal and chow-chow are cooked well.
3. Heat oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds, chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute.
4. Add to the cooked dal.

Serve hot with phulkas.