Chow Chow Dal: Chayote Squash Dal

Dal and chow chow (chayote), when cooked together, give you a dish with wonderful texture and taste. The juicy pear-like chow chow softens and melds into dal, adding an interesting counterpoint to the dal’s “porridginess”. When I want to do a bit more with chayote than make an easy stew, I usually turn to this chow chow dal recipe.

You Need:

• Chow chow (chayote) – 250 grams (~2 medium, or 1 large)
• Onion – 1
• Tomatoes – 250 grams (~4 small)
• Ginger – 1-inch piece
• Garlic – 4 fat cloves
• Green chilies – 3 (or to taste)
• Toor / moong dal (or a mix of the two) – 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

For the tadka:

• Dry red chili – 1
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil or ghee – 1/2 tablespooon

How To Make Chow Chow Dal:

1. Prepare the ingredients

Wash the dal well and soak the dal in two cups of water for an hour.

Drain and rise.

Peel and chop the chayote into 2-cm pieces.

Peel and chop onions. Chop tomatoes.

Slit the green chilies.

Crush ginger and garlic.

2. Cook

Place the washed dal in an Indian-style pressure cooker along with chopped chayote, onion, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Sprinkle turmeric powder.

Top with two cups of water. Lock the lid of the cooker. Boil on high heat till the cooker lets out a whistle.

Now set the heat to low and continue to cook for another two whistles.

Switch off the heat and let the pressure built up inside the cooker ease naturally.

Add salt to taste to the boiled dal. Using a ladle, swirl the dal around to mix in the salt and blend some of the vegetable pieces into the dal.

3. Do the tadka

In a small pan or tadka ladle, heat some oil. Set the heat to low. Add to the oil, half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, mustard seeds and a dry red chili (broken into 2-3 pieces, if you like).

Take the tadka pan off the heat as soon as the seeds start spluttering, and pour the sizzling oil into the dal.

Chow chow dal is ready. Serve hot on the side with plain rice or chapatis.

Meal below:

Chow chow dal, rice, pomegranate raita.

Notes:

Try other legume and squash/gourd/pumpkin combinations: