1. Wash and soak dals for 30 minutes.
2. Cook dal along with turmeric powder, chopped tomato, 2 cloves, crushed garlic, grated ginger, 1/4 of the chopped onion, mint leaves and salt in 4 cups of water and on medium flame.
3. After 5 minutes, add the grated lauki and let it cook till dal and lauki are fully done.
4. Mix in the lemon juice and take off the flame.
5. Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds.
6. When it begins to crackle, add chopped onion and crushed garlic and saute for a minute.
7. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, curry leaves, broken red chilli and green chilli and stir fry till crisp.
8. Pour the hot tempering over the dal and mix once.
9. Garnish with green coriander and serve with roti and chawal.

Image: Flickr/creativecommons pittaya