Bengali Tetor daal

Ingredients

• 1 cup Yellow Lentil / Moong Daal (dhuli huee)
• 1 Bitter Gourd / Karela
• 200 gms Bottle Gourd / Lauki
• 1.5 tsp Lemon Juice / Nimbu Ka Ras (optional)
• 1.5 tsp Sugar / Chini
• to taste Salt / Namak
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
• 2 Green chili/hari mirch (chopped)
• 1.5 Ginger / Adrak (grated)
• 2 tbsp Mustard Oil / Sarso ka tel (to fry karela slices)
• 1.5 tbsp Ghee
• 1 Bay Leaves / Tej Patta
• 2 Dried Red Chilli, Whole
• 1/3 tsp Mustard Seeds / Rai *
• 1/3 tsp Fenugreek Seeds / Methidana
• 1/3 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
• 1/3 tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry roast the moong daal in the cooker till golden and fragrant(this is optional step ,you can skip this step if you wish)

2. 2

   Wash the roasted daal and soak in 3 cups of water for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Peel the bottle gourd/lauki and chop into medium thick pieces.

4. 4

   Slice bitter gourd in roundels and sprinkle some salt over them and keep aside for few minutes. then wash well and squeeze the extra moisture.

5. 5

   Add turmeric,salt, green chilies ,bottle gourd and 1 tsp oil and pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat.

6. 6

   Add some mustard oil in a pan and shallow fry the bitter gourd pieces and keep aside

7. 7

   When the pressure cool down then open the pressure cooker and add about 3 cups of water and mix (can add water as thick or thin you want to have your daal )

8. 8

   In a small pan heat the ghee for tempering and then add all the seeds for tempering in it and when seeds start to crackle add bay leaf and whole red chilies.

9. 9

   Add this tempering in the daal,now add the fried karela and ginger and mix.

10. 10

    Simmer for about 10 minutes.keep stirring in between.

11. 11

    Serve piping hot daal with steamed rice and a tsp of ghee on top.