Niramish Potoler Dolma:Stuffed Pointed-Gourd |Cooking|

This is one veggie I look forward to for the whole summer only to get it once. Not only I love this veggie but since it is rare to find here it has now become an exclusive in my kitchen. My folks back home will probably think that I have gone crazy since they are now irritated by the name of ‘potol’. Potol or pointed-gourd is mainly a summer vegetable in India and the season starts from early April. So by this time they have had enough of this and are eagerly looking forward to winter vegetables. So they do not understand my excitement when I tell them over the phone how happy I was when I got to see these fresh beauties at my local Indian market. Today’s recipe is niramish potoler dolma.

This time I picked up quite a huge amount as surprisingly they were selling at a low price. I wanted to prepare all my favorite recipes out of it but the first thing which I wanted to prepare was this niramish Potoler Dolma or stuffed pointed-gourd. I was craving for this since long. Though this preparation requires a larger variety but I went forward to make it with a brave heart. I was skeptical whether I would be able to scoop out the seeds and stuff it properly but it was so easy.

Dolma is popular in Middle Eastern countries where they wrap around fillings with grape leaves. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants are also popular vegetables to stuff but stuffing potol is probably a Bong thing. The stuffing may also vary. For potoler dolma the most common stuffing is fish or shrimp and sometimes meat. My Maa makes it with shrimp and it tastes heavenly. The stuffing can also be veg like lentils mainly cholar dal, or coconut and homemade paneer or chenna. Today I wanted to keep the dish vegetarian and so stuffed it with paneer and potato and it tastes equally good. The gravy can be of your choice. I wanted to make it a bit exotic so I added cashew and melon seeds paste with coconut milk. Tastes awesome!

Bengali vegetarian dishes are mainly on the sweeter side so you may make the gravy a bit sweet as per your taste. Paneer stuffed potoler dolma with a silky smooth gravy is sure to hit any vegetarian menu with some rice or pulao.

Tips:

Be careful while scraping the potol and scooping out the seeds. You may stuff the potol and then fry but in that case sometimes the stuffing tends to come out so I find this way more convenient. While transferring the stuffed potol to the gravy be very gentle and always keep the flame at medium low. If the gravy is boiling and you place the potol then the stuffing may tend to come out too. Since the stuffing and potol both are prior cooked so it will not take too long to cook completely in the gravy.

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NIRAMISH POTOLER DOLMA RECIPE

YIELD: 2-4 Servings
PREP: 30 mins
COOK: 20 mins
READY IN: 50 mins

Paneer stuffed potoler dolma with a silky smooth gravy is sure to hit any vegetarian menu with some rice or pulao.

INGREDIENTS

10 medium pointed gourd or potol
1/2 lb paneer or chenna mashed very well with hand
1 medium potato boiled ,peeled and mashed
10-12 raisins or kishmish
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon ginger paste
8-10 raw cashews soaked in hot water
1 tablespoon charmagaz or melon seeds soaked in hot water
1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 fresh green chilies slit
1 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter
1 teaspoon garam masala powder mix of cinnamon and cardamom powder
4 tablespoons mustard oil or vegeable oil for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and trim the ends of the pointed-gourds. Lightly scrape the skin and with a help of a pairing knife or a back of a spoon try to scoop out the inside of the pointed gourd from one end. Sprinkle a little bit of turmeric powder and salt. Set aside. Drain and grind the cashews and melon seeds to a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in a kadai at medium flame and add the mashed paneer and stir. Mix in the boiled and mashed potato and mix very well. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder,1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mix well. Add the raisins and give a good mix. The stuffing should be dry and the texture should be smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
3. In the same kadai add 2 tablepsoons of oil and add the scraped pointed gourds. Shallow fry the pointed gourds until light brown in color. Drain and let it cool completely. When both the stuffing and potol is cool enough to handle, very gently stuff the pointed gourd until filled. Repeat with rest of the pointed gourds. Set aside.
4. In the same kadai heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds and bay leaf.Wait until it splutters. Add the ginger paste and stir at medium flame. Add the turmeric and chili powder,salt and sugar and mix well. Add in the cashew and melon seed paste. Stir well. Let the mixture cook for sometime or until the raw flavor is no more and oil separates from the masala. if the masala feels too dry you may add splash of water so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Finally add the coconut milk. Mix well with the masala. Cover and let the gravy cook for couple of minutes. You may add little water to thin out the gravy. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add the garam masala and ghee. Mix well. Now keep the flame at medium low and gently add the stuffed potol. Cover and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and turn the stuffed potol and let cook for couple of more minutes. Switch off the flame and let it stand for few more minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with slit green chilies.
6. Serve niramish potoler dolma hot with rice, pulao or vegetable fried rice.