Moong dal diye squash ghonto is an authentic and delectable Bengali niramish recipe which is hugely popular in Bengal. It is a pure comfort dish which is regularly prepared in Bengali households. It is a no onion and no garlic recipe which makes it a perfect dish for niramish days. In this preparation, grated or chopped squash is cooked with moong dal aka yellow lentils with minimal spices. It is a perfect side to accompany piping hot Steamed Rice and dal.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Chayote Squash
How to make Squash ghonto (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is squash?
This squash is specifically known as chayote squash and is popularly known as chow chow in India. The botanical name of the squash is sechium edule. Chow chow belongs to a gourd family. It is big pear-shaped, has got a soft core inside and thin external skin. This squash is used in different ways in different culinary. Few people love to prepare curry, few prepare stir fry, few love to add it to soup or stew etc.
What is ghonto?
Ghonto is a pure Bengali delicacy and it means mushy curry. Basically, ghonto is a Bengali speciality in which vegetables are cut into small-length thin strips or grated with a big grater and cooked as a dry curry aka mishmash.
Squash er ghonto is prepared in two ways – vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
For non-veg squash er ghonto, normally prawns, fish heads or small fishes are added into it.
For pure vegetarian aka niramish squash ghonto, it is prepared in different ways, like using daler bori or moong dal or sometimes only using peas. Today, I am going to share the vegetarian version aka moong dal diye squash ghonto with you.
A bowl of squash 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 squash 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.
Squash 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.
Squash 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 squash 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 ‘squash’ aka ‘chayote squash’ and the recipe.
Health Benefits of Chayote Squash
- Squash is very low in fat and cholesterol which is good for weight loss.
- This gourd is full of dietary fibre which is good for the digestive system and helps to get rid of piles, constipation etc.
- It is full of nutrients especially vitamin C which is good for nourishing the body.
- It is full of folate and calcium which is good for pregnant women.
- It is a good source of iron and full of antioxidants.
How to make Squash ghonto?
Bengalis are very particular about cutting vegetables for different types of dishes. For each of chorchori, dalna and ghonto preparations, they cut the vegetables differently in a specific way.
For any ghonto preparation, Bengalis cut the vegetables into small and thin strips like match sticks or grate them with the bigger side of the grater.
First, take a large bowl of water and then cut the squash into four pieces. Peel the squash, de-core them and dip them in water. At this point, you can grate them. Or else, cut each portion into thin slices like semi-circles. Then gather a few semi-circular pieces and cut them into thin strips in a vertical direction. Gather the strips and put them into the large bowl of water. Repeat the process and cut the complete squash and wash the pieces nicely.
How to make aloo tikki chaat?
To prepare the squash ghonto, first cut the squash into thin small strips or grate them and wash them once. Then drain the water and keep it aside.
On the other hand, 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 dry red chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
Then turn the flame low and add moong dal into the pan and fry them till golden brown in colour. Now, immediately add the squash to the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
Add salt, turmeric powder, green chillies and mix them nicely. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 20 minutes until the squash gets cooked completely in its own juice. Stir in between once or twice. Any ghonto is a slow-cooking recipe that tastes great when cooked on low flame.
Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Add cumin powder, coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
Add sugar, ghee into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over a high flame for a few more minutes until the excess moisture evaporates. Then switch off the flame.
Many Bengali veg recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like.
Mocha ghonto
Bandhakopi ghonto
Bori diye lau ghonto
Gobindo bhog chal diye lau ghonto
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
- 3 Squash, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Moong dal aka yellow Lentils
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 dry red Chilli (Shoknolanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ghee aka clarified butter
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil
Instructions:
- First, cut the squash into four pieces. Then destine them and peel off the skin. Now, cut them into thin small strips or grate them and wash them once. Then drain the water and keep it aside.
- On the other hand, put a pan on flame and add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add 2 dry red chilli, 1-2 bay leaves and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Turn the flame low and add 1 tablespoon moong dal into the pan and fry them till golden brown in colour.
- Immediately add the squash to the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2-3 green chillies and mix them nicely. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 20 minutes until the squash gets cooked completely in its own juice. Stir in between once or twice.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Add ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon ghee into the pan and mix it well.
- Cook it over a high flame for a few more minutes until the excess moisture evaporates. Then switch off the flame.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the squash ghonto into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm with plain Rice and Dal and enjoy the comforting meal of Bengal.
Ingredients
- 3 Squash, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Moong dal aka yellow Lentils
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 dry red Chilli (Shoknolanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ghee aka clarified butter
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil
Instructions
- First, cut the squash into four pieces. Then destine them and peel off the skin. Now, cut them into thin small strips or grate them and wash them once. Then drain the water and keep it aside.
- On the other hand, put a pan on flame and add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to it.
- Once the oil is hot, add 2 dry red chilli, 1-2 bay leaves and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Turn the flame low and add 1 tablespoon moong dal into the pan and fry them till golden brown in colour.
- Immediately add the squash to the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2-3 green chillies and mix them nicely. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 20 minutes until the squash gets cooked completely in its own juice. Stir in between once or twice.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Add ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon ghee into the pan and mix it well.
- Cook it over a high flame for a few more minutes until the excess moisture evaporates. Then switch off the flame.
