Lau Bhaja Munger Daal, a traditional Bengali dish, combines the earthy flavors of roasted moong dal (split yellow lentils) with the subtle sweetness of lau (bottle gourd). This dish is not only delicious, but also nutritious, offering a perfect balance of protein and vitamins.

Lau Bhaja Munger Dal is a summer delight!
It is light on the tummy and makes an amazing meal during warm summer days. I grew up eating this combination of bottle gourd with roasted mung beans and with steamed rice, it's utterly comforting!
To break it down, Lau is Bottle Gourd and Bhaja Munger Dal is Roasted Mung Bean Lentil Stew
Lau Bhaja Moong Daal is not only a treat for the taste buds but also a boon for health. Moong dal is rich in protein and fiber, making it a great addition to a balanced diet.
Lau, or bottle gourd, is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C, vitamin B, and potassium. Together, they make a wholesome and nutritious meal.

Ingredients you need for Lau Diye Bhaja Munger Dal
Bottle Gourd: Try to get the small tender ones, as they don't have a lot of big seeds inside, cook faster and tastes excellent.
Bhaja Mung Dal: Mung Dal is Yellow Split Mung Beans. The lentil cooks to a lovely creamy texture, and it digests quite easily. We are dry roasting the Mung Beans before boiling. The roasting adds a very interesting smoky flavor to the dal which is the key flavor note in this dish. So definitely don't skip this step.
Ginger: Ginger gives a lovely pungent kick to this light lentil stew.
Bay leaves: Almost all Bengali dal uses Bay Leaves. Try to use the dried ones and not the fresh bay leaf.
Panch Phoron: Panch Phoron is a quintessential Indian Five Spice which is used in tempering with mustard oil. Here is a recipe link of Panch Phoron which you can easily make at home.
Cumin and Coriander Powder: Just a bit of both the spice powder is added while preparing the dal.
Ghee and Cilantro Leaves: Both are key factor in this dish to add that refreshing flavor. Y0u add it right at the end.

Steps to prepare

1- Start by dry roasting the lentils in medium low heat. You don't need to add any oil. Use a heavy bottom pan so it cooks evenly without getting burnt.
2- I personally like to roast it to a very dark shade, but you stop once it turns a shade darker.
3- Wash the roasted mung beans gently so you don't lose the smoky aroma.
4- Next, boil the lentil in a pan. I would say avoid pressure cooker or InstaPot. You want the lentils to have an al dente bite, and so I prefer boiling in a pan, so we can see the texture.

5- Peel the bottle gourd and don't discard the peel. You can use it to make Lau Khosha Bhaja. Dice the bottle gourd into small bite size pieces.
6- In a heavy bottom pan or skillet, heat mustard oil and temper it with bay leaves and a little bit of paanch phoron.
7- Add the diced bottle gourd, season with salt and add a little bit of turmeric and suagr. Stir every thing to mix and then add the cumin powder. Cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
8- The texture of the cooked bottle gourd shouldn't be mushy. It should have some texture.

9- Add the boiled lentils along with a little bit of water and mix it around.
10- Add the green chili and grated ginger. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
11- Finish it with a dollop of ghee and finely chopped cilantro leaves.
12- Serve warm with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lime juice. Enjoy warm with rice.

I prepare this dal on repeat, and it is utterly comforting when enjoying pipping hot with steamed white rice and ghee drizzled on top.
MAKE HOMEMADE GHEE - It's easy and will taste way better than the store bought bottle of ghee
Try these dishes with Bottle Gourd:

Lau Diye Bhaja Munger Dal
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow split mung beans/ moong Dal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 small tender bottle gourd
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Indian five spice (panache phoron)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 green chili (slit or whole)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- In a dry pan, add the dal and roast it by stirring constantly, so you get an even color change of the roasted mung beans.
- Then give the mung dal a gentle wash and boil it in a heavy bottom pan with 1 teaspoon salt. Don't overcook the dal. Keep the shape of mung beans whole, but it should break easily. Watch the video to understand the texture better.
- Once the dal is boiled, keep it aside.
- Peel and dice the bottle gourd into tiny 1 cm bite size.
- In a heavy bottom wok or skillet, add the oil followed by Indian five spice and a bay leaf.
- Once the spice starts to sizzle, add the bottle gourd. Season with salt, add the turmeric powder. Stir it around and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the cumin and coriander powder, green chili and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour the roasted mung beans and stir it around.
- Grate the ginger and add it to the wok.
- Sprinkle the sugar and 1 cup water. Stir and cover the wok. Let it simmer for 10 minutes in medium low heat.
- Finally, add the cilantro leaves, ghee and give a mix. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
- Enjoy warm with steamed white rice.
jhai
I am yet to try this recipe
Faye
What I really like about this recipe is that it doesn't have garlic and onions. I can't wait to try it. I just wonder how it will be if I used red lentils instead.