Chayote Squash With Toor Dal

This dish does not use any ingredients that have gluten, but some of the spices used may be processed in facilities that process soy/wheat. Make sure you read the labels to ensure that the ingredients in fact are processed according to your dietary needs.

I started using Chayote Squash when I was in Bangalore and was super happy to find them in my local grocery store. I use Chayote Squash extensively in my daily cooking. It is a versatile vegetable and I already shared two ways in which I use it in my weekly meal rotations - moru curry & bisi bele bath.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• toor dal/split pigeon peas
• Chayote squash^**; peeled, remove the seed, and diced medium
• Kashmiri red chilli powder; adjust to taste
• Turmeric Powder/Haldi
• Salt to taste

grind together to a smooth paste

• coconut; freshly grated OR frozen & thawed
• Cumin Seeds/jeera
• shallot; optional - avoid if you are following a no-onion diet
• whole black pepper; adjust to taste

tadka/tempering

• oil; use coconut oil for an authentic taste
• black mustard seeds
• whole red chillies; if large, break into smaller pieces
• curry leaves

^**Chayote Squash is commonly known as Chow-Chow/ Seeme Badnekaayi in South India.

Substitutions

Instead of toor dal/split pigeon peas, you can use Chana Dal. if you are using chana dal, wash and soak the dal for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour (or even longer). The taste would be different since both the dals have different & distinct tastes.

Another good substitute for Toor Dal is Masoor dal or red lentils. Time to cook masoor dal and toor dal will be pretty similar. And the taste will not too far from toor dal.

You can substitute Chayote squash with any of the following vegetables of your choice:

• Vellarika/ Madras Cucumber - peel and remove the seeds before using.
• Kumbalanga/Winter Melon/Ash Gourd - peel and remove the seeds before using.
• Padavalanga/ Snake Gourd - remove the seeds before using.
• Peechinga/Ridge Gourd - peel the ridges and remove seeds if the seeds are not tender. You can make a tasty ridge gourd chutney with the peels.
• Raw Papaya - peel, remove seeds, and dice into medium-sized pieces.

You can use pearl onions (preferably red ones), or even a small piece of red onion in place of shallots. This is an optional ingredient and I omit it when I am following a no-onion diet.

Kashmiri Red Chilli powder can be substituted with Sweet Paprika or any other Indian red chilli powder. Adjust to taste.

Step By Step Instructions

Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.

how to make chayote squash with toor dal

prep work

Wash, peel, remove the seed, and dice the chayote squash into medium-sized pieces.

Rinse toor dal with water 2-3 times.

Grate coconut. Peel the shallot.

Get all the ingredients ready.

cooking

Note: We use Instant Pot to prepare the dish in the video below. You can use a regular pressure cooker on the stovetop instead of the Instant Pot.

Pressure cook toor dal and Chayote squash pieces in an Instant Pot.

Once cooked, using a ladle, gently mash the toor dal without breaking the chayote squash pieces. Add water, Kashmiri red chilli powder & turmeric powder. Bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, grind coconut, black pepper, shallots, and cumin seeds, and water to a smooth paste.

Once the toor dal-chayote squash comes to a boil, add the ground coconut paste and a little water to adjust the consistency if required. Bring back to a boil.

prepare the tadka on the stove top

Heat oil in a tadka/tempering pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add whole red chillies. Remove from heat. Add the curry leaves to the toor dal-chayote squash curry. Pour the seasoned oil.

Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.

How To Cut Chayote Squash?

Wash chayote squash with water and remove any dirt on the surface.

Using a peeler (Y-shaped peeler is my favorite), peel off the outer skin. I wash it once more to make it easier to handle.

Place on a chopping board and trim off the edges. Cut the squash into halves length-wise. And then cut each of those further into two halves there by leaving you 4 pieces.

Now, it becomes easy to remove the seeds. Use a paring knife remove the seeds.

Take each quarter, cut into 2-3 pieces length-wise. The cut crosswise to get medium-sized pieces.

Equipment

• instant pot/pressure cooker to use on stovetop^**
• cooking spoons
• chopping board + knife + peeler
• measuring cups/spoons
• small tadka/tempering pan (to be used on the stovetop)
• small blender/mixer-grinder

^**You can cook the dal and chayote squash without using a pressure cooker. But it will definitely take a longer time. Soaking the dal for 1-2 hours will help. Use a thick bottomed pan to cook the dal. Keep an eye out to ensure that there is enough water and dal does not burn.

Serving Suggestions

This is a Kerala-style curry with coconut. Any side dish, preferably a dry sabji like thoran (stir fry), will pair well.

I also serve it with some chappathi. These are unleavened wheat flatbread from Indian cuisine.

I love yogurt with rice and this curry. It is an uh-maz-ing combination. Add some pappadoms (thin lentil wafers) and you have a delightful South-Indian-style meal.

Apple pickle is a great side to this curry.

How To Store Leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The curry might thicken slightly. While reheating, add sufficient water to adjust the consistency to suit your taste and bring back to a boil either on the stovetop or in a microwave.

Time Saving Tips

• Grind coconut paste while the toor dal is cooking.
• Cook and freeze toor dal and chayote squash in the freezer as part of your meal prep. Thaw and use as required.
• You can dice and refrigerate Chayote Squash ahead of time.
• Cook rice or any other side dish that you want to serve while the toor dal is cooking.

Kadala Curry

Pineapple Pachadi

Tomato Coconut Rice

Beetroot Aviyal

Apple Pulissery

Kale Thoran

Errissery

Green Peas Carrot Thoran

Simple Chicken Roast

Chicken curry with coconut

Spicy Kerala Fish Curry

Nadan Meen Curry

Fish curry with coconut milk

Fish curry with coconut & ginger

1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can useUS cups with no significant change to the dish)

Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.

Serving size – This serves 4  people. Adjust the serving size to fit your dietary needs. 

Curry thickens slightly on cooling. Add a sufficient quantity of water to adjust the consistency while reheating.

Prep Time - Time to rinse the dal, dice chayote squash, and get ingredients ready. Cook Time - Time for actual cooking (some of this happens unattended). Additional Time- Instant Pot takes about 8-10 minutes to reach full pressure. It also needs about 20 minutes for natural pressure release.