Motor Daler Bora Diye Lau Ghonto (Bottle-gourd Curry with Yellow Pea Dumplings)

A simple veggie meal can be amazingly delicious if you get the combination right. There was Dal-Bhaat (Rice and Lentil Soup) with vegetable fritters and Motor Daler Bora Diye Lau Ghonto (Bottle-gourd Curry with Yellow Pea Dumplings) which was literally the show-stopper.

After ages I tried this curry. This is Maa’s recipe of Chapor Ghonto which is traditionally made with tender White Pumpkin (Chalkumro / Petha) and flattened lentil fritters. I adhered to her recipe but tweaked with the main two items. And finally I got a very tasty vegetarian dish which was loved by all who were served with the food.

Here’s my recipe of Motor Daler Bora Diye Lau Ghonto (Bottle-gourd Curry with Yellow Pea Dumplings).

Ingredients:

1. Bottle gourd / Lau / Lauki / Ghiya – 1 medium (About 1.25 kg)
2. Yellow Pea Dal (Split) / Motor Dal – 1 cup
3. Ginger paste – 2 tsp.
4. Green chili paste – ½ tsp.
5. Green chili (Slit) – 3
6. Turmeric powder – A pinch
7. Asafoetida / Hing – A pinch
8. Eno – 1 pkt. (Or Edible Soda – ½ tsp.)
9. Nigella seeds / Kalojire / Kalaonji – ½ tsp.
10. Cumin seeds / Gota Jire / Jeera – ½ tsp.
11. Wild Celery seeds – ½ tsp.
12. Bay leaf – 2
13. Salt – As required
14. Sugar – 1 tsp.
15. Mustard oil – Adequate for deep frying dumplings and 1 tbsp. for cooking

Processing:

1. Wash Motor Dal thoroughly and soak for 2 hours.
2. Drain water and grind keeping it a bit coarse avoiding adding water. (Note: Better you use a Shil-nora / Sil-patta).
3. Take the ground dal in a mixing bowl.
4. Add salt, half tsp. sugar, half ginger paste, green chili paste, nigella seeds and cumin seeds. Mix all well.
5. Add Asafoetida and mix well.
6. Then add Eno, mix lightly and keep under cover for 1 hour. At half an hour interval stir the mix with a spoon and keep under cover again.
7. Wash, remove skin and finely cut bottle gourd. (Note: If you grate, then grate it thick.)

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Preparation:

1. Heat adequate oil in a wok.
2. Whip the dal mix and spoon out portions and drop in hot oil.
3. Fry dumplings till golden on all sides.
4. Take out and keep aside.
5. Finish frying all dumplings. Keep aside.
6. Reduce oil just to keep a tbsp. for making the curry.
7. Throw wild celery seeds and the bay leaves.
8. Add the chopped bottle gourd and stir.
9. Add salt and turmeric powder and stir mix well.
10. Add remaining ginger paste, slit green chilies and mix.
11. Reduce heat to low and cover.
12. Allow bottle gourd to cook in its own juice.
13. Occasionally stir.
14. When ¾ cooked and some juice remains, add sugar and mix. (Note: If you find the bottle gourd dry, add ½ cup water in between while cooking).
15. Add fried dumplings and mix and cook till done under cover. (Note: I have kept 30% of the fried dumplings depending upon the amount of my curry. I enjoyed those with Dal-Bhat to start with).
16. Give it a final stir and transfer on to a serving bowl.
17. Motor Daler Bora Diye Lau Ghonto (Bottle-gourd Curry with Yellow Pea Dumplings) is ready to serve.

Serve the curry cooled at room temperature with rice and enjoy a grand vegetarian meal. It is awesomely tasty, flavourful and superb in look.

Enjoy cooking traditional veggie dishes:

ENchorer Kofta (Raw Jackfruit Kofta)

Alu Guteka (Potato Fritters in Himachali Style)

Parboni Payesh: The Prize-Winning Sweetdish

Divine Vegetarian Avial: The Dish By Bheem That Pleased Durvasa

About the Author

Debasish Bhattacharya ( 20 Posts)

A freelancer consulting Social Development Specialist, Debasish works in large-scale infrastructure development projects in India and abroad as well. An Anthropologist turned Regional Planner Debasish (Shibaji) is fond of several activities from writing travelogues to cooking, from sketching, painting, photography to dress designing, embroidering to choreographing. Whenever he feels, in the early mornings or dead of nights, he sits with doing something creative that is so close to his heart.
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