Nenua Chana: Bihari Sponge Gourd (Torai) with Chana Dal

Confession time: I had to Google "nenua in English" for this post. I learned that the vegetable is called sponge gourd: the name comes from the fact that the fibrous core of the gourd is dried and used as a sponge/loofah.

Not surprisingly, the Latin name of sponge gourd is Luffa cylindrica.

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Be that as it may, it feels stilted to call the very Bihari nenua "sponge gourd", especially since I’m blogging about a very Bihari recipe. I’ll continue calling it nenua in this post.

While on the topic of “very Bihari recipes”, allow me to draw your attention to our Bihari vegetarian food gallery that hosts step-by-step recipes, tips for adapting traditional Bihari cooking techniques to urban kitchens, and local linguistic musings.

Gourds pair wonderfully with dal, as in the lovely ridge gourd moong dal. Nenua chana is another case in point. This is a very uncomplicated recipe with very few ingredients – the perfect kind for a new cook to test their skills on. With no onions or garlic, this dish gets its flavor from mustard oil and asafoetida (hing).

PS: Elsewhere in North India, nenua is called torai or tori. Nenua tastes somewhat like ridge gourd, the close cousin more popular in the southern states of India.

Ingredients:

[Serves 2]

• Nenua – 250 gm (~ 3 slim gourds, about 8 inches long)
• Chana dal – 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida (hing) – 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – to taste
• Water – 1 cup (plus extra for soaking)

How To Make Nenua Chana:

1. Prepare the ingredients

Wash and soak two tablespoons of chana dal in a cup of water for two hours. Chana dal will plump up with soaking. Drain the soaked dal and discard the water.

Peel and slit nenua vertically, then slice them into 1/2-cm thick half-moons.

2. Cook!

Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil in a kadhai or pan. When the oil is hot, reduce heat to low and add cumin seeds and asafoetida.

When the cumin seeds have spluttered (this will take just a few seconds – watch carefully: don’t let the spices burn!), add nenua slices and turn up the heat. Sauté for a minute.

Add the turmeric powder and salt to the nenua, mix and continue to sauté for another minute.

Next, add chana dal along with a cup of water. Give the contents of the pan a good stir, then simmer covered until the dal has softened – about 30 minutes.

Note: The chana dal in nenua chana is expected to be al dente, not soft as in a soupy masala chana dal.

Turn off the heat. Nenua chana ki sabzi is ready! Tip: Let it rest covered for another 10 minutes before eating – this enhances the flavor of the curry.

3. Serve

For a simple meal, serve nenua chana with chapatis, plain yogurt and some green chili pickle.

For a more elaborate thali-style spread, serve it as a side dish alongside boiled rice or parathas and other classic Bihari curries + bhujiyas + sides, such as:

• Curries: sarson wale aloo
• Dry Bhujiyas: parval bhujiya or baingan bhaja
• Raitas: Cooling carrot onion raita or moong ka raita
• Condiments: ginger-garlic pickle or zesty dhania chutney

Quick-reference recipe card that you can save or print:

Print Recipe

Nenua Chana: Sponge Gourd with Chana Dal

Nenua chana is a simple vegan curry from Bihar that combines sponge gourd (nenua / torai) with split Bengal gram.

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Resting Time10 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Curries

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: gourd

Servings: 2

Author: The Steaming Pot

Ingredients

• 250 gram Nenua ~ 3 slim gourds, about 8 inches long
• 2 tbsp Chana dal
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp Mustard oil
• to taste Salt
• 1 cup Water plus extra for soaking

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Wash and soak two tablespoons of chana dal in a cup of water for two hours. Chana dal will plump up with soaking. Drain the soaked dal and discard the water.
• Peel and slit nenua vertically, then slice them into 1/2-cm thick half-moons.

Cook!

• Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil in a kadhai or pan. When the oil is hot, reduce heat to low and add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
• When the cumin seeds have spluttered (this will take just a few seconds - watch carefully: don't let the spices burn!), add nenua slices and turn up the heat. Saute for a minute.
• Add the turmeric powder and salt to the nenua, mix and continue to saute for another minute.
• Next, add chana dal along with a cup of water. Give the contents of the pan a good stir, then simmer covered until the dal gets cooked - about 30 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Nenua chana ki sabzi is ready! Tip: Let it rest covered for another 10 minutes before eating - this enhances the flavor of the curry.

Notes

For a simple meal, serve nenua chana with chapatis, plain yogurt and some green chili pickle.

For a more elaborate thali-style spread, have nenua chana as a side dish with boiled rice or parathas and other classic Bihari curries + bhujiyas + sides.