Chal Kumro Diye Moong Dal is what Mom used to make to give us a light yet flavorful meal when we wanted. Ash gourd hardly has its own taste, but the aroma of the dal mixes beautifully within the vegetable to create a lovely mixture of flavors in this mushy delight. This comfort food is always cooked with mustard oil in our home. If you are new to cooking with ash gourd, then this easy Bengali recipe is for you.
Why Love This Recipe:
- Chal Kumro Diye Moong Dal is a traditional Bengali dish.
- It is made with split green gram and winter melon.
- Thirty-five minutes is what it takes me to make this dish at home.
- This popular dish is enjoyed best with steamed rice or Indian bread.
- Moong dal with ash gourd tastes sweet and creamy with a mild earthy undertone.
- A few alternatives to this dish include moong dal with lau or bottle gourd, chal kumro diye aloo posto, chal kumro diye chholar dal or split bengal gram, or simple chal kumro torkari.
The Ingredients:
- Ash Gourd – 1 (medium size)
- Moong Dal – 200 gms
- Water – 1 cup (for soaking the moong dal)
- Tomato – 1
- Ginger Paste – 1 Tsp
- Green Chili – 2 Nos
- Bay Leaf – 1 No
- Dry Red Chilies – 3 Nos
- Sugar – Half teaspoon
- Mustard Oil – 3 Tbsp
- Cumin – 1 Tsp
- Turmeric – 1 Tsp
- Salt – As Required
- Lukewarm water – 1/4 cup
How to Cook Chal Kumro Diye Moong Dal (Step by Step Images)?
1. Light the clay stove or gas oven, heat the karai, and lightly dry roast the Moong Dal.
(Pro Tip: I roast until the dal smells nutty and turns light golden, never brown. It gives a nice color to the dish.)
2. Soak dry roasted moong dal with one cup of water for 5 mins.
3. Then add mustard oil in the pan or karai and heat it.
4. Add the bay leaf, dry chili and cumin seeds.
5. Add all the ash gourd in the oil.
(Pro Tip: Cut the ash gourd into small, even pieces. Big chunks stay raw while the dal turns mushy.)
6. Stir well and add 1 tsp salt, turmeric, ginger paste, and green chili. Stir fry it well.
7. Add all the already soaked dal into it after draining the water. Add lukewarm water and let it boil for 5 mins.
(Pro tip: Do not add too much water as ash gourd will release its own moisture while cooking).
8. Add the chopped tomatoes.
9. Cover it with a lid and leave it for 10 mins.
10. Add half tsp sugar, then add salt to taste.
11. Cook it until the water is dried and the chal kumro diye moong dal is well cooked.
12. Transfer it to a bowl.
Give It a Twist
- I replace cumin with panch phoron sometimes and it does add a twist to the flavor.
- I top mine with crumbled fried bori a couple of times to enhance the taste.
- When guests arrive unannounced, I cook this dish in a pressure cooker. It cooks faster.
Moong Dal with Ash Gourd Recipe Easy Remedies
Q: My dal is not getting soft even after step 9. What should I do?
A: You might have added less water or the dal was too old. Mix in half a cup of warm water and continue cooking it for five more minutes.
Q: What should I do if the dish turns out to be watery?
A: You must cook the mixture with the lid open in step 11. This is because excess water gets evaporated this way quickly.
Q: What can be done if the dish tastes bland?
A: It happened to me once. I added some drops of lemon juice to it before finishing it.
Recipe Card
Moong Dal with Ash Gourd (Chal Kumro Diye Moong Dal)
Ingredients
- Ash Gourd – 1 medium size
- Moong Dal – 200 gms
- Water – 1 cup for soaking the moong dal
- Tomato – 1
- Ginger Paste – 1 Tsp
- Green Chili – 2 Nos
- Bay Leaf – 1 No
- Dry Red Chilies – 3 Nos
- Sugar – Half teaspoon
- Mustard Oil – 3 Tbsp
- Cumin – 1 Tsp
- Turmeric – 1 Tsp
- Salt – As Required
- Lukewarm water – 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Light the clay stove or gas oven, heat the karai, and lightly dry roast the Moong Dal. (Pro Tip: I roast until the dal smells nutty and turns light golden, never brown. It gives a nice color to the dish.)
- Soak dry roasted moong dal with one cup of water for 5 mins.
- Then add mustard oil in the pan or karai and heat it.
- Add the bay leaf, dry chili and cumin seeds.
- Add all the ash gourd in the oil. (Pro Tip: Cut the ash gourd into small, even pieces. Big chunks stay raw while the dal turns mushy.)
- Stir well and add 1 tsp salt, turmeric, ginger paste, and green chili. Stir fry it well.
- Add all the already soaked dal into it after draining the water. Add lukewarm water and let it boil for 5 mins. (Pro tip: Do not add too much water as ash gourd will release its own moisture while cooking).
- Add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cover it with a lid and leave it for 10 mins.
- Add half tsp sugar, then add salt to taste.
- Cook it until the water is dried and the chal kumro diye moong dal is well cooked.
- Transfer it to a bowl.
