Potoler Daalna ...with a difference!

I am not fond of Potol or Parwal or Pointed Gourd...but during the scorching summer months, vegetable markets are not at their best. The dull, dried, limp vegetables dont look enticing enough to win one's heart! But well, veggies have to be had and when Potol was the freshest of the lot, had no choice but to buy them.


While peeling the skin of the Potol, the bored me (always the case whenever I have to cook something I'm not fond of) was suddenly reminded of a delicious Potol preparation. I'd had it eons ago, cooked by my grandaunt who was not only a good cook but could make the tedious Potol taste WOW! Unfortunately I didnt know the recipe ...the only memory of the preparation was that it was semi dry with Gobindo Bhog Rice a predominant ingredient (as in Muri Ghonto).


Hence proceeded on similar lines and let me throw humility to the winds and proclaim that the Potol er dalna turned out to be delicious indeed....so much so that I gave myself an imaginary pat on my back!!


I had no plans of blogposting the boring Potoler Dalna and hence hadnt clicked any in-process photographs. But, because it turned out so well, quite like a pleasant surpirse, decided to just click a pic or two without much fanfare and detailed pics....


So here goes the recipe:


Ingredients :
*Potol/Parwal- 1/2 kg - Peeled and halved
* Potato - 2 medium sized - cubed
*Gobindo Bhog / Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup : soaked in water for 15-20 minutes
*Onions - finely chopped - 1
*Tomato - chopped -1
*Whole garam masala- 2-3 cardamoms, 1 piece of 1" cinnamon stick, 3-4 cloves
*Bay Leaf - 2 small
*Masala paste - [1 tsp of Turmeric powder + 1 tsp cumin powder + 1/2 tsp of coriander powder + 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp of kashmiri mirch powder (for colour) + 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (optional) mixed with a little water]
*Ginger paste - 1-2 tsp
*Ghee - 1 tbsp
*Roasted & ground garam masala - 1 tsp
*Sugar - a pinch
*Slit Green chilli - 2-3
*Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp


Procedure :- (In the sequence I do)
1. Soak washed Gobindo Bhog/Basmati rice in water.

2. Rub salt and turmeric on the Potol and Potato pieces and keep for 5-10 minutes

2. Lightly fry the Potol and Potato pieces in oil and keep aside.

3.Take fresh oil in a wok. When hot, add the Bay leaf, whole garam masala

4.Add the finely chopped onions and a pinch of sugar for colour. Add the ginger paste

5. Fry till the onion turns light brown but take care not to burn them.

6. Add the masala paste. Stir and let the masala cook till you see the oil & masala separate.

7. Add the chopped tomatoes

8. Keep stirring and cook on low to medium heat for about 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle water if required.

9. Add the uncooked Gobindo Bhog/Basmati rice. Stir well and let the masala seep into the rice.

10. Add the pre-fried potato cubes. Add some water (about 1/2 glass)

12. Keep cooking and when the rice is semi cooked in the masala and the potato is partly cooked, add the fried Potol pieces.

13. Stir well and add some more water if it has become too dry.

14. Cook on low heat for another 3-5 minutes till the rice is just right and not overcooked and mushy.

15. Add the slit green chillies

16. Before switching off the flame, heat the ghee in a skillet and add a tsp of roasted & ground garam masala and add this to the almost done 'Potoler Daalna'.


Enjoy with hot steamed rice!

Note : I think in the preparation I'd had eons ago, Ghee had been used instead of oil. This had added much much more to the taste. While I, belonging to the relatively more health conscious generation (rather forced-to-be health conscious thanks to the cholestrols & triglycerides), had to be content with just a dash of ghee at the very end.