Pointed Gourd/Parwal is called ‘Potol’ in Bengali and ‘Dolma/Dorma’ means a stuffed vegetable. This Bengali delicacy is usually made using prawns or fish. vegetarian and low calorie version of the Potoler Dolma, the potol/parwal is stuffed with Indian Cottage Cheese and dry fruits. The stuffed potol is shallow fried instead of deep frying and is tossed in a tangy and spicy tomato-cashewnut gravy.
Ingredients
- Potol/Parwal/Pointed Gourd, 12
- Oil, ¾ cup
- For Non-Veg option: Mutton Keema/Minced Meat or Rohu Fish or Small prawns, 500 gms
- For Veg option: Potatoes or Indian Cottage Cheese or a mix of both
- Onions, finely sliced, 350gms
- Fresh Ginger, paste, 1 tsp for the fish/prawn, 2 tsp for mutton
- Fresh garlic cloves, 3-4
- Red chili powder, 2 tsp or to taste
- Green chilies, finely chopped, 2
- Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
- Bengali Garam masala powder, ¾ tsp (refer to notes)
- Salt, to taste
- Onion, paste, 5 heaped tbsp
- Bayleaves, 2
- Ginger paste, ½ tsp
- Red chili powder, ¾ tsp or to taste
- Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
- Bengali Garam masala powder, ¾ tsp
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Wash and clean the potols. Very lightly scrape the potols if you want or can use as is. Cut off the tips from both ends. Scoop out the seeds from one end without breaking/damaging the other end - I use the handle of a teaspoon to do this. (Don’t discard the seeds, refer to notes).
- Rub a little salt on the inside and outside of the potols and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat half of the oil in a kadhai/wok and fry the potols till they turn light brown (add some more oil if needed). Drain well and keep aside to cool.
- In the same oil that you fried the potols in, fry the sliced onions and garlic till golden brown. Add turmeric, ginger, red chili powder, green chilies and a little salt. Add in the main stuffing ingredient:
- If using fish – boil and debone it first. Mix well with above masala, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- If using prawns –Mix well with above masala, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- If using mutton keema/minced meat – cook on low heat till completely cooked and soft
- If using potatoes – boil and mash it first
- If using cottage cheese – crumble it first
- After the gravy dries up, add the garam masala. Mix well and keep aside to cool
- Once it cools down, fill the scooped out and fried potols with the stuffing – till the edge and packed tightly.
- Heat up the remaining oil in a kadhai/wok.
- Add in the bay leaves, onion paste and ginger paste. Fry very well, add red chili powder and turmeric. Mix and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add water and let it come to a boil.
- After a couple of minutes, add in the stuffed potols and let it all simmer on low heat till gravy thickens.
- Add garam masala powder, stir and remove from heat.
- Arrange potols on a serving plate and pour the gravy on top.
- Serve with plain boiled rice or pulao.