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Stuffed Pointed gourd - traditional Bengali Potoler Dolma

‘Dolma’ is a Turkish word meaning ‘stuffed’ relating to Ottoman cuisine. It is generally made with a filling of meat, seafood, rice, and fruits or combining them together stuffed inside a vegetable or leaf. Historically stuffed vegetable dishes have been part of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries. But it is unknown how and when this cuisine entered the Bengali kitchen. If we look back at our culinary history, we find its mention in Bengali kitchens much before the independence of India in 1947. ‘Dolma’ in Bengali kitchen is mostly done with the pointed gourd or ‘Potol’ as it is known in Bengali. The ‘Potol’ is scooped out of its inner seeds and contents, keeping the outer layer intact. A filling cooked with prawns or minced meat or fish is stuffed inside. Then it’s cooked into a gravy, which is called in Bengali as ‘Potoler Dolma’. Presented today is the ‘Potoler Dolma’ prepared traditionally in Bengali kitchens. Ingredients: Pointed Gourd ‘Potol’ large ones – 400 g washed an
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Red Mutton Curry




Sundays in Bengali life in the olden days were all about Goat meat curry for lunch, cooked in different variations. Chicken was a taboo in Bengali households then, except for chicken eggs, chicken was not allowed in the household by the conservative Bengali elders due to religious reasons. The younger family renegades had to arrange to cook Chicken in some corner of the home in seclusion if they rarely wanted.  

I am talking of a period when Bengalis lived in joint families and it was still Calcutta, not Kolkata. Park Street area was frequented by the affluent class of people, wearing formal, Flury’s, Trinca’s, and Moulin Rouge were places for the elite society.

Such a Mutton recipe is today’s presentation. This recipe is from Bela Dey’s collection, perhaps the first celebrity Chef of the Bengali society. She was a regular for decades on the radio.

Ingredients:

Goat Meat/Mutton – 500 gm

Potatoes – 3 pcs. halved

Kashmiri Red Chili powder – 2 teaspoons

Bay leaves – 3 nos.

Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon

Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon

Garlic – 7 pods chopped

Ghee – 2 tablespoons

Onions – 3 sliced

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1 teaspoon for the colour of the dish

Tomato – 3 nos. pureed

Mustard Oil – 1 cup

Instructions:

Heat the mustard oil in a deep pot (Hanri as it is called in Bengali).

Add the Ghee and sugar.

Mix the Ginger paste with half the Kashmiri Red Chilli with little water to make it a paste.

Fry the chopped onions in the heated oil and Ghee mixture.

Add the bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of Garam masala and the chopped Garlic.

When all of it becomes mushy add half of the tomato puree and the rest of the Kashmiri chilli.

Mix it all till the raw smell goes away.

Add the Goat meat/Mutton and keep stirring until the mutton pieces are coloured.

Add the rest of the tomato puree and water to cover it all.

Adjust the salt to taste.

Add the potatoes and cover the pot with a lid.

Lower the heat and let it all simmer for at least 40 mins.

After 40 mins. open the lid and add a teaspoonful of Ghee.

After cooling it down serve the mutton with steaming rice.

A wedge of lemon also gives a slightly tangy taste.

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