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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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Yellow split gram cooked with Bottle Gourd



This is a speciality cuisine from Faridpur, now in Bangladesh, sourced from someone in a family relation. It is a simple dish with easily available ingredients. Purely vegetarian and easy to cook, this is a soothing nutritious dish during hot and humid Bengal summers.


Ingredients:

Bottle gourd (Lau) 400 gm – shredded into 2-inch juliennes

Cumin – ½ teaspoon for tempering

Dried Red Chilli – 2 nos. for tempering

Sona Moog Dal – 2 cups (aromatic variety of yellow split gram)

Ginger – 1 inch, Cumin – 1 teaspoon, Coriander – 1 teaspoon ground to a smooth paste

Red Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Cumin – 1 teaspoon dry roasted, coarsely grounded for sprinkling

Mustard oil – 4 tablespoons

Salt – according to taste.


Instructions:

This can be quickly cooked in a pressure cooker, cooking pan or wok also works well.

Heat the mustard oil.

Add Cumin and Dried Red Chilli in hot oil for tempering.

Add Lau and sona moog daal.

Add salt to taste.

Saute until the daal gives out its flavour.

Then add the ginger-cummin-coriander paste.

Add chilli powder.

If the Lau is tender, you won't have to add water, otherwise, add little water just to cover the whole thing.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker.

After one whistle, reduce the heat and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

It is originally a dry daal recipe but those who like it runny can keep it slightly slurry.

If you are not doing it in a pressure cooker, wait till both daal and lau are done.

Sprinkle the dry-roasted cumin, ground coarsely.

Enjoy with rice. A wedge of ‘Gondhoraj’ lime enhances the flavour of the dish.



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