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Chana Dal-Karela

If you do not like karela, you must not have tried this recipe yet. I bet you will fall in love with it at the first bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking time 2 hours
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (180 grams) chana dal (split chickpeas)
  • 2-3 (180 grams) bitter gourd (karela)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp (60 ml) rapeseed oil (substitute with mustard oil or olive oil)
  • 2 medium (180 grams) onion
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (zeera)
  • ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalaunji)
  • 2 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (kuti hui laal mirch)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 cup (200 ml) water
  • ½ tsp salt (or as needed)
  • ½ cup (100 grams) yogurt
  • a handful fresh coriander (optional, for garnish)

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or pressure cooker

Method
 

  1. Thoroughly wash and soak your chana daal for at least 2 hours before starting cooking.
  2. Wash and pat dry the bitter gourd. Cut into slices. Check each slice for hard seeds and remove them. It will take some time and effort until you get all the seeds out but you don’t need them in your dish.
  3. Once all the seeds have been removed transfer the bitter gourd to a large bowl. Add 2 tsp of salt. Mix thoroughly and rub the salt nicely onto the pieces. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Transfer the bitter gourd to a sieve and wash it thoroughly. Try to get rid of as much salt on the surface as possible. Leave it to drain until needed.
  5. Peel and dice the onion into small pieces.
  6. In a bowl mix all the spices (powdered and whole) and set aside. Do not mix salt into it.
  7. Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode (high). Once hot add the oil and the bitter gourd. Fry for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  8. Add the drained (soaked) chana dal, chopped onion and all the spices (except salt). Also add the water and give it a good mix. We are not adding salt at this point because we don’t know how much salt the bitter gourd has retained. We can add salt later.
  9. Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing position. Set to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. (If cooking in a pressure cooker, put on low heat and pressure cook for 20-25 minutes).
  10. Once the timer goes off, release the pressure. Check the dal for doneness by squeezing it on the spatula with your finger. It should be soft without leaving any solid lumps. Also taste check to see if you need more salt.
  11. Set the Instant Pot on sauté mode (high). Add more salt if needed (I added ½ tsp). Also add the yogurt. Now cook, stirring frequently until almost all liquid has been absorbed. This step is to ensure that our spices are cooked nicely so they release their aroma and also that our yogurt incorporates into the dish.
  12. Once all the liquid has been dried out, you can add water if you prefer your dish with a runnier consistency. I like mine on the dry side. If you do add water at this point, cook it for about 5 minutes before switching it off.
  13. Transfer it to a serving dish/bowl and garnish with fresh coriander.
  14. Serve with multi-grain roti.

Notes

This dish stores well into the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s also super freezer friendly. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.