Potoler Korma (Pointed Gourd in a yoghurt mustard gravy)

Potol a.k.a Parwal in Hindi is a summer vegetable very popular in India and often cooked in several households.
Though a very common vegetable in India, its a rarely found vegetable here in U.S.A.
Last to last week one of my dearest friend got me this vege from a Indian grocery........Both of us were so happy to get this vegetable that Potol remained a subject of our endless talks for the rest of the week. This humble vegetable "Potol" took us to our childhood days when little would we would have bothered about what was cooking or what Ma was making but the fun part was both of us at some time or other had heard our moms complain how boring and monotonous cooking potol was. This vegetable was so abundant that we used to have every possible preparation that could be prepared using Potol. To name a few...Potol bhaja, Potol Posto, Potoler Dalna,Doi potol aand Potoler dorma were among the best.
My Husband who is not quite fond of this vegetable suggested I make something new with it.....try a new recipe may be.......
So I , rather we created this recipe together and named it.......Potoler Korma.
Korma which comes from Mughlai origin "Qurma" means meat or vegetable cooked in a mild yoghurt based sauce  with ghee instead of oil, and often poppy seed, cashew paste and coconut milk is added to it.
But I replaced ghee with mustard oil and cashew with Mustard and poppy seed paste.I even thought of naming this Doi Sorshe Potol (Pointed gourds in yoghurt mustard sauce) but then whats in a name :)

This is how it looks...........

 Ingredients :

• Potol 20 pc
• Onion 1 small (finely chopped)
• Garlic paste 5 to 6 cloves (freshly ground)
• Mustard oil
• Red chili powder 1 tsp
• Poppy seed 2 tbsp 
• Coconut shredded 1 tbsp
• Mustard seed 2 tbsp
• Yoghurt 1tbsp
• Green chillies
• Salt and sugar( according to your taste)

Make a paste of following adding little amount of water to it in a blender/mixer

1. Poppy seed and shredded coconut.
2. Mustard seed and one green chili. (Using a tea strainer also called chakni in bengali take out the thick mustard water leaving the coarse paste aside)

Wash the potols and peel them partially leaving some skin on them.

Cut the pointed ends and slit them from both sides keeping the potol intact and whole.

Now marinate the Potol with salt and fry them in shallow oil.

Now use fresh oil ( not the one you fried the Potol in) in a kadai and add bay leaves when the oil gets hot.

Then add the chopped onions and keep frying. Add the garlic paste to the oil and keep stirring. When the onions and garlic turns nice golden in color add 1 tsp red chili powder and mix. Let this simmer for a while and then add the poppy seed and coconut paste. Give another 5 min and then instantly add the mustard  water and let it all simmer for another 5 min. You will see oil ooze out from the gravy.....add the yoghurt and let it simmer for some more time. Now check the seasoning( salt and Sugar) and add if required.

Add the potol,  mix everything well and add half cup of hot water to this mixture. Cover the wok/kadai with a lid for about 10 min and let the korma simmer.

Open the lid and check the seasoning once again.......add green chili's and one tsp mustard oil for the extra flavour and fragrance. The Korma will look nice and golden and its beautiful color and consistency will tell you that the much desired Potol is now ready to be served  with Pulao, Plain rice or Naan/Roti.

Happy cooking Folks !!!

Read More

Pathar Mangshor Jhol (Bengali style Goat curry)

Having invited some friends for lunch, Pathar Mangsho (GOAT CURRY) will be a must in the afternoon spread. Though a very simple mutton preparation...Bangali Pathar Jhol is a delicacy that has won hearts since ages.....Keep it simple and you will taste what your mom used to make on those sultry

summer afternoons accompanied with Dal sometimes Sukto or saag and mango/tomato chutney to end on a sweet note.

What I make usually looks like this......and the recipe is passed down through generations from Didun to mom.......and now to me.

Ingredients used........

• Mutton 2 pounds (1 kg)
• 5 to 6 potatoes cut in halves
• Mustard oil
• 2 medium sized onions (chopped)
• 2 inch long ginger
• 12 to 15 cloves of garlic
• Curd 1 tbsp
• Tomato puree 1 tbsp
• Green chillies
• Turmeric powder
• Salt and sugar
• Red chilli powder 1 to 2 tsp ( I like my curries hot you see)
• Whole garam masala (Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaves, Cinnamon)
• 1 tsp Ghee
• Garam masala powder (Homemade)

Now this is how I make it......

I wash and clean the mutton and marinate it with mustard oil ,curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder  (according to your taste), half of the ginger and garlic (made into a fine paste) and salt
for preferably 3 to 4 hrs.

Now its time to cook !!!

Peel and wash the potatoes and cut them in halves so that the pieces are nice and big.
Marinade the potatoes with salt and turmeric and fry them which will give a nice golden color.
Pour some oil in the Kadai (wok) and add 1 tsp sugar (sugar in hot oil always adds a rich color to the
gravy) and then I add the garam masalas and bay leaves....When u can smell the wonderful aroma add the chopped onions ,saute it till it turns pink and then add the remaining ginger garlic paste....keep frying for spome time and then add the tomato puree (Adding tomato puree will give a nice color and body to your curry) You will know that the masalas are cooked by the aroma of spices and slight oozing of oil and then  add the marinated mutton......Now just cover it and turn your gas/burner temperature to medium and do your other chores.
I keep checking the mutton every now and then to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom.
After about 15-20 min you will notice that your Kadai which you had left dry with masalas and mutton is now  full of red beautiful liquid...let this simmer for the next 10 min.
Now when the gravy starts to dry up...toss up real well and add the fried potatoes.
Now add hot water to this and check for the seasoning (salt and sugar)
Let this simmer for another 10 min and then you can take out the potatoes before adding the mutton curry in the pressure cooker....if you don't have a pressure cooker or want to avoid it, you can continue with the slow simmering for the next one hour periodically checking the tenderness of the meat.
Now those pressure cooking it...let me tell you that if you have a small cooker you will need 5 to 6 whistles
to cook the meat and with a big cooker 3 to 4 whistles would be sufficient.
Now you must be wondering about the potatoes......having a small cooker I open it after 5 whistles,add the potatoes and then wait for another whistle. Along with the potatoes I also add one teaspoon ghee , some slit green chillies and a pinch of garam masala for the zinggggg :)

So that is it......Pathar jhol, Mutton curry, Mangsher jhol  whatever you call it.....it tastes heavenly !!!
Never forget to add your love ;) how much ??? Now that I am leaving  on you...
May be the more the better :D

Happy Cooking !!!

Read More

Food for thought or Thought for Food ;)

Cooking has been my passion since I was a little girl.......as little as 10 or 12 ;)
Never a necessity though it was a urge that came from within which kept growing
Had never thought that I would be writing this today......But after lot of coaxing and cajoling
from none other than my better half .......started this journey of sharing my thoughts and interests
with you all.
Being a bong its not easy to overlook the various delicacies that surround us starting from
Sankranti in January to  the home made cakes made during Christmas in December...so as they say
Baro maashe tero parbon....and I have always taken pride in being a bong when there has been discussions of food.....moreover I am a BANGAL and my Hubby a GHOTI...so it's always fun fighting over Illish and Chingri and then devouring them with as much pleasure.

It all started with accompanying mom and Didun (grand mom) to the kitchen,toasting  bread or flipping an omlette like the other girls do...and may be even making sweets and savouries during Durga Pujas and other festivals.
Then suddenly I found myself being engaged and totally engrossed in knowing everything that was being
prepared in the kitchen......
My Didun being a wonderful cook and having all those knowledge and art of cooking that Bong moms have,
always encouraged me to try out different things...and I sort of found an Enclyclopedia (of cooking) in her :D
Didun has always bean a wonderful teacher and being a perfectionist she has always taught me things the right way.
In my posts I would be often mentioning this wonderful lady I call Didun,,,,,,and share her recipes with you.

Read More