This ridged gourd dal dish or Peerkangai Paruppu is one that I learnt from my mil. The lemon juice and green chilies in this dish impart a very tangy and spicy twist to this everyday dal (or koottu in Tamil).
Ingredients:
Ridged gourd – 2, peeled and chopped into small pieces
Urad dal – 1 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Chana dal (yellow pigeon peas) – 1 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp
Ginger, chopped – 1 tsp
Juice of half a lemon
Cilantro – 2 tsp chopped
1 cup boiled and mashed toor dal
Oil – 1 tsp
Heat the oil in a kadhai or heavy bottomed vessel. Add the mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, chana dal, and curry leaves. Wait for the mustard seeds to crackle, then add the chopped ginger and green chilies. Fry for about 2-3 minutes and then add the ridged gourd pieces. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until the ridged gourd looks a little transparent and feel soft to the ladle, and all the water evaporates. This step may take a little time. Make sure to completely cook the ridged gourd. Now add the boiled and mashed toor dal to this mixture. Add a little water if needed (about half cup). I usually add a little turmeric powder to the toor dal, but if not, you may add the turmeric powder here.
Let the dal boil a little (about 5 minutes). Turn off the stove and add the juice of half a lemon. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with steamed white rice.
