Hyderabadi Kaddu ka Dalcha : lauki dal

Kaddu here doesnt mean pumpkin. In Hyderabad and Bangalore Bottle gaurd commonly known as LAUKI all over India in hindi is called as KADDU. 

Hence it is actually LAUKI KA DALCHA. 

It is very simple mouth watering extremely tasty curry. Suits well with plain rice, zeera rice or it is commonly made along side biryani as well. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup soaked toovar dal(yellow lentils) or chana dal(bengal gram). Chana dal is preferred as it adds a different kind of buttery flavor.
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• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped
• water 2 cups

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp shahi zeera seeds(caraway seeds)
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2-3 slit green chillies
• 1 small size bottle gourd/Lauki (cut into long pieces)
• 2 medium sized onions, finely sliced
• 2-3 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 cup water
• salt -to taste

• 1 small lemon sized tamarind, extracted pulp
• 2 tsp coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing
• 1 tsp garam masala powder(powder of dalchini, elaichi, cloves, shahjeera)
• 5-6 curry leaves while boiling

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook dal first 

1. In a pressure cooker, add chana dal, add turmeric powder, add tomatoes, add water and pressure cook until the dal is tenderized.
2. Cook it for about 10 minutes or 5-6 whistles.
3. Reduce the steam of the cooker, mash the dal by adding salt, add tamarind pulp, mix well, check if salt is required and keep aside.

For Cooking Bottle Gourd/Lauki:

1. In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add cinnamon stick, add caraway seeds, add curry leaves, add slit green chillies, add the chopped tomatoes, add the onion slices and saute for a while.
2. Add bottle gourd(lauki) slices, add ginger garlic paste, add turmeric powder, add pinch of red chilli powder, mix well, add water, add salt as per taste and pressure cook for about 3 whistles for the lauki to get soft.
3. Lastly Combine everything that is the dal with tamarind pulp and the cooked Kaddu curry all together.
4. To it add garam masala powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves, add some sugar to kill the sour taste(optional).
5. Bring the whole mixture to a boil on sim flame.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

ENJOY!!!!