Bottle Gourd Dal / Sorekayi Pappu

Ingredients:

Split Pigeon Peas/Toor Dal – 1 cup
Bottle Gourd, peeled and chopped – 2 cups
Green Chillies – 2
Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1 /4 tsp
Thick Tamarind Extract – 2 tbsps(reduce if you do not prefer it sour)
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Cumin Seeds – 3/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli – 1
Curry Leaves – 5
Asafoetida Powder – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 2 tsps

Method:

1. Dry roast toor dal until it turns slightly brown. Ensure that you keep frying continuously so that they do not get charred.
2. Turn off the heat and wash it thorougly with water.
3. In a pressure cooker, take roasted dal, bottle gourd pieces, slit green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook until 3-4 whistles. Dal must be just cooked; soft but not mashed.
4. Add tamarind extract and salt. Mix well and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat.
5. In a pan, heat oil.
6. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilli pieces, curry leaves and asfoetida powder.
7. When mustard seeds start crackling, add this to the cooked dal. Mix well.
8. Serve hot with hot steamed rice and ghee.