Recipe Of Dried Al Dal

                                                             AL HACH

Dried Bottle Gourd

Ingredients Required

• Dried Bottle Gourd-15-20 strips or round pieces
• Red Lentils-2 cups
• Black cardamom-1
• Onion-1 large one
• Tomatoes-2
• Green chillies-3
• Lemon-1
• Coriander leaves-2 sprigs
• Ginger garlic paste-1 tablespoon
• Red Chilli Powder-1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder-1 tablespoon
• Water
• Oil

Steps For Preparation

•  Boil some water in a kettle.
• Take the dried Al strips or round pieces in an utensil.
• Pour the hot water over the dried bottle gourd strips or round pieces.
• Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
• Cut onion into small pieces.
• Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
• Cut coriander leaves
• Cut green chillies lengthwise and keep it aside.
• Take a pressure cooker.
• Add oil into the pressure cooker.
• Place it on the gas stove and turn the flame on.
• Crush the black cardamom.
• Add it into the oil.
• After few seconds, add the onion pieces.
• Saute for some time till the onion pieces are pink in colour.
• Add tomatoes and saute them for few seconds.
• Add salt and fry for few minutes till oil separates from the onions and tomatoes.
• Add ginger garlic paste and mix them well.
• Add turmeric and chilli powder.
• Wash red lentils and add them to the pressure cooker.
• Rub the dried gourd with hot water in order to remove the dust particles.
• Wash them properly now.
• Add them to the lentils and mix them well.
• Add water and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
• Cook under the pressure for some time.
• Open the lid to keep the check whether the lentils are cooked well or not.
• Sprinkle the coriander leaves over the cooked lentils.
• Extract the lemon juice and add it to the dal.
• Serve the dal with the cooked rice.

Dried bottle gourd is preferred by all kashmiris. It is used to prepare only pulses.It is combined with various pulses available to us and cooked in the kitchens.It is easily digestible and very tasty also.Once the bottle gourd is dried and stored in the containers,it is stored in the attics.I have observed that the taste is different in the following ways of using it-

a) Wash the dried bottle gourd under running water and add directly to the pulses.This gives somewhat different taste to the dish.It is simple added and cooked under pressure for sometime.

and

b) The Al is placed in a big bowl.Boiling water is added to it and left for few minutes.After some time,it is nicely kneaded in the hot water in order to remove the dust particles and other unwanted things deposited while it was being dried in the sun.In this process,the dried Al is soaked in water and retains the moisture in it.It is added to the pulses and cooked with other spices.This adds taste and gives an entirely different taste to the dish.