Ash Gourd with Daal curry (Mulakushiyam)

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Cubed Ash Gourd (Kumbalanga) - 500 gm
Slit Green Chillies - 5
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker and add rest of the above ingredients and cook well with enough salt and water.

Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cumin seed - 1/4 tspn

Grind coconut and cumin seeds in a blender to a fine paste using enough water.

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tspn
Dried chilli - 2
Shallots (cut into rings) - 1 tspn
Cooking oil - 1 tblspn
Salt, Curry leaves - as required

Mix the cooked daal mix and coconut paste together in low flame. Heat oil in a separate pan, splutter mustard seeds, add dried chilli, shallots. Once the shallots are golden brown add curry leaves and fry for a few more seconds. Add this to the curry as garnish.