This Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry with Ridgegourd is a tomato-ey spicy homestyle recipe that is inspired by a potato dish from Rajasthan. This Moth Dal recipe makes the perfect plant-based Indian meal! Rich, fragrant, and packed with protein for a meal you can feel good about and it’s authentic tasting.
To make your decisions wisely, you should have a clear mind. For a clear mind, you need to focus on you and take breaks every once in a while.
We all have gone through our struggles in the last many months. The range varies. We have also come/coming out of it stronger and better than ever. For one what the pandemic has taught me is: what I missed and what I didn’t, what’s important and what is not.
I was burnt out after last year, I still kept going. Working part time, working on our family business, the blog and of course a home to take care. When I work that hard, I also tend to want to achieve more in less time. Finishing the task that was on hand, and gearing up for the next. And being a perfectionist, all the projects had to be perfect. I buried myself in work, a coping mechanism in a way.
I’ve always been good about exercising my body and taking breaks. But, at times I like to soak myself in work to forget the bigger pain that I am going through. What I fail to realize now and again is taking breaks and focusing on YOU, your mental health is important too.
This summer, I decided I was going to take a break from work, from the blog, and focus on me. We travelled, I documented, I shot pics just for fun. I turned down many projects and it was OK. In the long run, when you see the bigger picture, these breaks, these travels will be much more memorable. Taking breaks need not necessarily be going on vacations, it can be as simple as take a day off. Go get your nails done, read a book, go for a long walk. Whatever calms you.
While focusing on meaningful life goals which will take you a long way, be sure to give yourself time off regularly, so you can enjoy life’s other meaningful aspects. Therefore find yourself happier and healthier.
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”― Maya Angelou
On to this delicious Rajasthani curry that gives you maximum flavor in the most the minimum time.
This is a home style Rajasthani curry that you will not find at restaurants. Every home has a recipe and this is one I learnt from a Rajasthani friend of mine who made this with Lauki/bottlegourd, and I absolutely loved it with rotis. I’ve made it with beans, potaoto and many veggies. They say the best recipes come by accidently and this was one of them. I had some moth daal after I made a salad, It kept staring at me for a few days. When I was making this curry with ridgegourd/torai/peerkangai, I added the cooked moth beans to this Rajasthani
Curry and boy oh boy, it was so tasty. The combination of the moth beans and ridgegourd was simply amazing. I’ve made it a couple of times since and I had to share it with all of you. Make this Rajasthani Curry, you will love it.
How to make this Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry with Ridgegourd
Rassewali just means a light watery tomato based gravy. I would say the most important for this curry is the moth beans and the ridgegourd. Grinding the onion and tomato, frying it really well in oil is the second most important step in getting this curry to be the way it tastes. Try not to skimp on the oil.
Few ingredients, but each one is essential. Although the ingredients are not a lot, the steps are important. Cook the moth beans and then add it again in the pressure cooker second time will ensure that the vegetable doesn’t mush up and the beans is cooked to perfection for this style of Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry.
Steps to making this Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry
- Soak the moth beans for an hour and cook it. You can also soak overnight, sprout it and add it the last step while you cook the vegetable. Sprouts do not have to be cooked a lot.
- Cut the vegetable into larger chunks since you will be cooking in a pressure cooker. This curry tastes best pressure cooking it. You can cook it in a pan, but it will take at least an hour to cook. You can use other vegetables like lauki, mini cucumbers, Beans, eggplant, potato, peas and paneer.
- While cooking the onion and tomato paste with the spices, it very important to cook it in decent amount of oil and to keep sauteeing. You will see the oil ooze out of the paste. Very important to cook the paste and the spices well before you add water, veg and the moth beans.
- Add the garam masala in the end before pressure cooking it for 5 minutes.
Serve this Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry hot with rotis. Enjoy!
- 1 cup moth daal - wash and cook it for 3 whistles or in pan until cooked about 90 percent (https://www.amazon.com/Dwaraka-Organic-Moth-Bean-Lentil/dp/B07C6XGWDT)
- 1 large Ridgegourd - peel, take seeds out and cut to one inch cubes
- 1 medium onion, cubed
- 2 large tomatoes, halved
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil or veg oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 pinches asafoetida
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 green chillies, finely cut
- 1 tsp plain chili powder ( hot)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- cilantro
- Use a slow cooker, instant pot, Pressure cooker, whatever you have on hand.
- I use my pressure cooker.
- Wash the moth daal, soak for an hour. Cook it in a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water for about 3 whistles. Let the pressure settle, Open the lid, drain the water, save it for rasam or soups, and set aside the daal.
- Grind the onion and tomato to a puree. Set aside.
- In the same pressure cooker, add 4 ttbsp of oil. Let it get hot, add the cumin seeds, asafetida. Add garlic and ginger, saute on low heat for a minute. Add the onion tomato puree and saute on medium to low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep sauteeing and cooking until the raw smell of the onion goes away. You will see that the mixture thickens and the oil floats a little bit. At that time add 4 cups of water. Add the ridgegourd, the cooked daal,garam masala and check for salt, mix well.
- Cover with the lid and pressure cook it again for just one whistle. Let it settle and open. Toss in some cilantro.
- Serve with rotis.
If this post has helped you, and you make this Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry, please leave a comment, feedback and star rating.
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