ALOO POTOLER DALNA / POTATO & POINTED GOURD CURRY

             

It is the start of summer back home. The markets will be flooded with young pointed gourds / parwal / potol. We usually prepare different kinds of curries with it.... dry gravy or light curry, stuffed, when guests come. When it starts to get little old / ripe, we love to have it fried accompanied by daal / lentil curry and rice. For many of us it a heavenly dish. Oh, not to forget to squeeze some lemon juice on top of the dal rice. 

Only few places of India are fond of this veggie, right? Many among the Bengalis too do not like it. However, our families have it way too much during the summers. I too buy it whenever in sight. Of all the kinds with it, I love it in this humble curry with potato & regular Bengali curries.

As thought of, I will compile as much Bengali authentic dishes here as possible. This Bengali summer time curry is called ALOO POTOL ER DALNA. Today, the mood I am in, I wished to share with you all this simple, regular curry from my family; perhaps done the same way in most of the Bengali families; without onion & garlic.

INGREDIENTS : 

Pointed Gourd : 8
Potato 2 medium sized

Tomato : 1 medium sized
Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As required
Sugar : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seed : 3 pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Cinnamon Powder : 3 pinches
Green Cardamom Powder : 2 pinches
Ghee : 1 tsp [skip it you are a vegan]
Oil : 4 tbsp[mustard]

METHOD :

Peel the potatoes and the pointed gourds, the latter keep gap and peel. Cut the pointed gourd half, the potatoes into four pieces.

 Wash them and apply salt and turmeric. Heat the oil in a wok, fry both in batches. Keep aside.

Temper the oil with cumin seeds, bayleaf . Add the ginger paste and add the washed & chopped tomato. Saute for 3-4 minutes, add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the fried potato pieces at first. Coat well with the spice mix. Add 1 cup of water and cover cook for 3 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the pointed gourds. Stir and cover cook for 4 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the cinnamon and green cardamom powder, sugar and ghee. Stir well and cook for another 1 minute. Done.

It is to be served with hot steamed rice. On that day, we also had "palong shaak er ghonto & radhuni phoron tomato dal" alongside!