Sorakaya Pesarapappu Kura--Lauki Moong Dal Curry--Bottle Gourd Green Gram Curry

The most disinterested vegetable available in the market is sorakaya/lauki/bottle gourd. It is very unimpressive. In whichever way we cannot impress upon. But it has got its own good qualities. It helps in fighting constipation, it reduces blood pressure. The fiber and minerals in it supports healthy digestion. To make it more impressive and tasty I try different ways to cook it. This one is among it.

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd/Sorakaya/Lauki - 2 cups/10"inches long
Green Gram/Pesara pappu/Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies -2
Curry Leaves - 5 to 7
Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Black Gram - 1 tsp
Bengal Gram - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 1
Asafoetida - 1 tsp

Procedure:

Peel the skin of bottle gourd. Cut it into small pieces. We can pressure cook them for three whistles or we can cook them directly in the pan. I normally pressure cook them. Once they are done remove from the cooker and put under running water so that it gets cooled.
Soak green gram for one hour.
Slit green chillies. 
Heat oil in a kadai. Add all the ingredients under 'For Tempering'. Once they start spluttering add curry leaves, green chillies and soaked green gram. Add one or two tablespoons of water to cook the green gram. Do not over cook it, just half cooked is enough. Now add cooked bottle gourd and salt. Mix them with the spatula. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes so that excess water get evaporated. Serve sorakaya pesarapappu kura along with challa mirapakayalu with rice.