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Pigeon Pea Soup with Opo Squash/Bottle Gourd (Lauki Waali Toor Dal) Vegan Recipe. Jump to Recipe
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Yay, it is that time of the month again! November is Squashlove month! and We are having a blog hop all through november for yumm squash dishes!
I am starting off squash love with my mom’s dal recipe with Lauki (opo squash/bottle gourd).. A simple thick soup, can be served as is with some crusty bread, or with Basmati rice or as a side in an Indian meal with flat bread(roti), pickles and a dry veggie preparation(subzi).
Opo Squash/Calabash/bottle gourd/Long melon/Lauki/Doodhi is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd.
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A Note about spices used for tempering(Tadka) Indian Daal soups. The same Daal/lentil/beans can pick up a completely different taste with different spices. Here are some combinations I use, Fennel (Saunf) and Nigella (kalonji)seeds compliment each other, or a combination of mustard and cumin seeds, or mustard and coriander seeds, or cumin and carom(Ajwain) seeds. For other variations, add a bay leaf and a clove(Laung) or 2, Or some garam masala. Garnish with fresh cilantro, or shredded coconut or lemon juice. I like fennel with whole lentils,(red and mung bean). and coriander and mustard in yellow lentils.
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Some other daals(lentil or bean soups) already posted, all under the label Daal. Some of the faves Yellow Lentil Daal, 3 Lentil Daal soup and Mung Bean Daal tempered with Burnt garlic!
Pigeon Pea Soup with Opo Squash/Bottle Gourd (Lauki Waali Toor Dal)

Pigeon Pea Soup with Opo Squash/Bottle Gourd (Lauki Waali Toor Dal) Vegan Recipe.
Ingredients Â
- 3/4 cup split Toor daal, (split and skinless pigeon pea(pigeon pea can be substituted with any split peas or Mung daal, petite yellow lentils))
- 2 cups opo squash/lauki cubed, (found in indian stores or asian supermarkets, can be substituted with a different mild flavored squash like zucchini)
- 2 cups water
Tempering/Tadka:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, (Raee)
- 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds, (Kalonji seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- pinch of asofetida, (hing)
- 5 curry leaves, (you can find these fresh or frozen in any Indian store. If you dont have these, substitute with one bay leaf)
- 1/2 Serrano chili pepper or chili flakes to taste, (quantity by heat level of the pepper. The current organic Serrano we get are extremely hot)
- 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon raw sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Cilantro for garnish
InstructionsÂ
- Soak the lentils in warm water for an hour.
- In a pressure cooker or pan, heat the oil on medium heat until hot on medium heat.
- Add mustard(raee) seeds and after a few seconds of sputtering, add cumin(jeera) and nigella(Kalonji) seeds.
- Add in the asofetida(hing) and curry leaves and mix.
- Add in the chili, turmeric, ginger and garlic and cook till garlic is golden brown.(1-2 minutes)
- Add in squash and rinsed soaked daal(pigeon pea), water, salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar(optional). You can also add in 1 medium tomato, chopped.
- Mix well. Cook for 2 whistles in pressure cooker(15 minutes on high pressure) or Cook covered for 30-35 minutes if in pan.
- Serve hot garnished with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with basmati rice or as a side with Roti, pickles, vegetable stir fry dishes and a salad of onions and cucumbers tossed in lemon juice, salt and black pepper!. Theres your complete indian meal!
- Serve as soup with warm poppy dinner rolls with lime juice, olive oil, and garam masala garnish. Comfort food on a cool evening!. Have an awesome day everyone!
Notes
Nutritional value is based on 1 serving
Nutrition
Calories: 79kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 447mg, Potassium: 354mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 895IU, Vitamin C: 41.2mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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Thank you Aipi!
Thankyou Salome and Jen. do let me know when you try it!
This looks creamy and delicious with wonderful flavors! I am definitely going to have to try this!
Jen
Thank you for this vegan recipe, I’ll make it soon! Besos
An all time fav ~ the pics are sensational!
USMasala
Thanks Anh!
Thanks rika. opo swuash is called many different names.. so u might have tried it already.
Thanks Jennifer@OhCake. you can find opo squash in any indian or asian grocery store of supermarket. you can also replace the squash with any not too sweet squash.
This is a fantastic recipe. I love dahl and I can see myself eating a quart of this with some delicious roti. It’s great learning about all the different squash varieties out there too. The bottle gourd isn’t one I’m familiar with where I am on the east coast of the US.
I love your vegan recipes including the squash soup you made! It looked really, really good! The ingredients within the soup was spectacular. I have never tried Opo squash, maybe I have tried it already in Malaysia. Not sure yet, but I’ve seen a lot of squash varieties here.
Lots of squash love for ya!
Love, Rika
Very pretty!! And I like this dish!
Thanks Shulie! love your foodphotography!
Thanks Sylvia and Georgie!
Thanks Valerie, dudut, Mike! Squashlove to u all too!
Thanks Anu, Shaheen, Jay.