Anapakaya pappu / Bottle gourd daal

Anapakaya pappu / Bottle gourd daal

Anapakaya or bottle gourd is a very commonly used vegetable in India. Its used in daals, curries and also chutneys or dosas. My Mom makes koftas with shredded bottle gourd and they come out good.
Its nice to use veggies in daal because then it makes one dish with both protein with veggies included.
I made this daal the easy way, making most of it in the pressure cooker and later tempering it.
I like to put tomato in some of the daals and this is one of them In which I do. But its totally optional.

Ingredients:

Into the pressure cooker:

1/4 piece of a large anapakaya / bottle gourd, peeled and cut into large cubes, 1/2 inch size
3/4 cup daal, washed
1 1/2 cup water to cook daal (double water of daal)
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small onion chopped or 1/2 onion
4 green chillies, slit lengthwise

1 lemon size ball of tamarind (squeezed of it juices and kept aside)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder

For Tempering (tadka):

4 garlic pods, crushed
1/4 tsp urad daal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2 dry red chillies, broken
5-6 curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
garnish with coriander leaves

Method:

Wash the daal and add enough water to cook the daal. Add the cubed anapakaya, chopped onion, green chillies and chopped tomato to the washed daal and put this into the pressure cooker. Let it cook for 3 to 4 whistles and then on low heat for about 5 to 10 min. After cooking, let the steam come out by itself, don't open it. When the steam is gone, open it and add the tamarind juice, turmeric and chilli powder.
Prepare for tempering in a small pan or a tadka pan. Heat oil and put in the crushed garlic pods. When browned add the urad daal and brown. Then add the mustard seeds and jeera and let them splutter. Add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add the tadka or tempering to the cooked daal and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or chapathi or roti. Enjoy!!!

Tip: If you cut the gourd into small pieces, it will disintegrate completely when you pressure cook it. Thats why big pieces are better. After pressure cooking, if the daal gets cold before you do the tempering, heat it put before adding the tamarind juice, turmeric and chilli powder. This is so that the tamarind juice, turmeric and chilli powder get cooked too.
There are two ways to cook in the pressure cooker:
1. add enough water in the pressure cooker and put a different pot in it with the daal, water and veggies
2. add the daal, water and veggies directly into the pressure cooker.