Moong dal diye jhinge ghonto is an authentic Bengali veg recipe that is hugely popular in Bengal. It is a pure comfort dish that is regularly prepared in Bengali households. It is a no onion and no garlic recipe, making it a perfect dish for niramish days. In this preparation, ridge gourd aka jhinge chunks and potato chunks are cooked with moong dal aka yellow lentils with some specific spices. It is a perfect side to accompany piping hot Steamed Rice and dal.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Papaya
How to make Moong dal diye jhinge ghonto (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
About the recipe
A bowl of jhinge ghonto with plain rice, dal, and jhuri aloo bhaja is more than a comfort meal and is just like bliss. I am pretty sure many people are on the same side as me. If you have never tried it then I recommend you try it at least once.
My mom used to prepare this moong dal diye jhinge ghonto on Saturdays which is usually the vegetarian day of the week in our house when onion, garlic, and even masoor dal is prohibited along with non-vegetarian food.
I have learned this authentic Bengali veg recipe from my mom. My family loves this dish. I always prepare this dish whenever I find ridge gourd in my fridge.
Jhinge ghonto is a very simple and easy recipe. The difficulty level of cooking the dish is low and can be suitable for a novice. It requires very limited ingredients which are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry.
Jhinge ghonto with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. If you follow my recipe precisely then you will get the perfect moong dal diye jhinge ghonto on your plate. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the hero ingredient of the recipe ‘jhinge’ aka ‘ridge gourd’ and the recipe.
Health benefits of Ridge Gourd
- Ridge gourd is low in calories and an excellent source of losing weight.
- It is high in fibre which helps to get rid of constipation.
- It helps to control the blood sugar level of our body.
- It is also used as a detoxing agent.
- It is full of vitamins, zinc, manganese and iron. It can be a great addition to our regular diet.
How to make Jhinge ghonto?
To prepare the moong dal diye jhinge ghonto, first, take some moong dal in a bowl and wash it a couple of times. Then soak the dal in water for an hour and keep it aside. After an hour, strain the dal and keep it aside for further use.
Then peel the ridge gourd and cut it into large pieces. Wash them and keep them ready to cook.
Peel large-sized potatoes and cut them into eight pieces. Wash them and keep them.
Now put a pan on flame and add mustard oil to it. The usage of mustard oil enhances the flavour and taste of the dish.
Once the oil is hot, add the potato chunks to the pan. Sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder into the pan and mix it well. Fry the potatoes evenly over a medium flame from all sides till light brown spots occur. It takes around 5-6 minutes to fry the potatoes. Strain the potato chunks on a separate plate.
Now add dry red chilli, bay leaf, and cumin seeds into the same pan for tempering and let them crackle.
Add the soaked moong dal into the pan and fry it over medium flame for 4-5 minutes until the dal shrinks a bit and a nice aroma comes out of it.
Then add the ridge gourd chunks, salt into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 10-12 minutes.
Now, add the tomato chunks to the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the fried potato chunks, green chilles into the pan and mix it well.
In the meantime, take a bowl and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and some water into it. Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
Add some water to the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it for another few minutes until the dal, ridge gourd, and potatoes get cooked completely.
At the final stage of cooking, add sugar, Bengali garam masala and ghee (clarified butter) to the pan. These spices complement the flavour of the dish very well.
Simmer the curry for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.
Many jhinge recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like.
Jhinge aloo posto
Turai ki sabji
Turai ke chilke ki chutney
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
To fry the potato
- 1 large Potato
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, to sprinkle
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, to sprinkle
- 2 tablespoons Oil
For the spice paste
- ½ tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons Water
Other ingredients for the recipe
- 500 grams Jhinge aka ridge gourd
- 1 Tomato
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ⅓ cup Moong dal aka yellow Lentils
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 dry red Chilli (Shukno Lanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ghee aka clarified Butter
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cup Water
Instructions:
- First, take ⅓ cup moong dal in a bowl and wash it a couple of times. Then soak the dal in water for an hour and keep it aside. After an hour strain the dal and keep it aside for further use.
- Peel 500-gram ridge gourd and cut them into large pieces. Wash them and keep them ready to cook.
- Peel large-sized potatoes and cut them into eight pieces. Wash them and keep them.
- Put a pan on flame and add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add the potato chunks to the pan.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder into the pan and mix it well. Fry the potatoes evenly over a medium flame from all sides till light brown spots occur. It takes around 5-6 minutes to fry the potatoes. Strain the potato chunks on a separate plate.
- Now add dry red chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds into the same pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Add the soaked moong dal (Step 1) into the pan and fry it over medium flame for 4-5 minutes until the dal shrinks a bit and a nice aroma comes out of it.
- Add the ridge gourd chunks, salt into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the tomato chunks into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fried potato chunks (Step 6), 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix it well.
- In the meantime, take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons water into it and mix it.
- Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add ⅓ cup water into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it for another few minutes until the dal, ridge gourd and potatoes are cooked completely.
- At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala, and 1 teaspoon ghee, one by one into the pan and mix it well.
- Simmer the curry for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the jhinge ghonto into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm with plain Rice and Dal and enjoy the comforting meal of Bengal.
Ingredients
To fry the potato
- 1 large Potato
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, to sprinkle
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, to sprinkle
- 2 tablespoons Oil
For the spice paste
- ½ tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons Water
Other ingredients for the recipe
- 500 grams Jhinge aka ridge gourd
- 1 Tomato
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ⅓ cup Moong dal aka yellow Lentils
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 dry red Chilli (Shukno Lanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ghee aka clarified Butter
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cup Water
Instructions
- First, take ⅓ cup moong dal in a bowl and wash it a couple of times. Then soak the dal in water for an hour and keep it aside. After an hour strain the dal and keep it aside for further use.
- Peel 500-gram ridge gourd and cut them into large pieces. Wash them and keep them ready to cook.
- Peel large-sized potatoes and cut them into eight pieces. Wash them and keep them.
- Put a pan on flame and add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add the potato chunks to the pan.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder into the pan and mix it well. Fry the potatoes evenly over a medium flame from all sides till light brown spots occur. It takes around 5-6 minutes to fry the potatoes. Strain the potato chunks on a separate plate.
- Now add dry red chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds into the same pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Add the soaked moong dal (Step 1) into the pan and fry it over medium flame for 4-5 minutes until the dal shrinks a bit and a nice aroma comes out of it.
- Add the ridge gourd chunks, salt into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the tomato chunks into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fried potato chunks (Step 6), 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix it well.
- In the meantime, take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons water into it and mix it.
- Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add ⅓ cup water into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it for another few minutes until the dal, ridge gourd and potatoes are cooked completely.
- At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala, and 1 teaspoon ghee, one by one into the pan and mix it well.
- Simmer the curry for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.
