Shorshe Posto Diye Potol | Bengali Pointed Gourd with Mustard and Poppy Seed Paste

Shorshe Posto Diye Potol is a traditional Bengali recipe where pointed gourd is cooked in a flavourful mustard and poppy seed paste. A simple vegetarian dish best served with steamed rice.

Potol or Pointed gourd, is a favorite vegetable in most Bengali homes. It is a vegetable that is available only in the summer months.
Earlier this vegetable was found only in Bengal and other eastern parts of India, but now it has become popular and is available all over India. In Delhi it is called Parwal.

Recipe

Potols 1/2 Kg

Posto (poppy seeds) 2 teaspoons

Sorshe (mustard seeds) 1 teaspoon

Sada sorshe (yellow mustard seeds) 1 teaspoon

Holud (turmeric powder) 1/2 teaspoon

Lanka ( chili powder) 1/2 teaspoon

kalo jeera ( kalonji/ nigella seeds) 1/2 teaspoon

Kancha Lanka ( green chilies) 3 or 4 slit

Sorsher tel ( mustard oil) 1/4 cup

Jol ( water) 1 cup plus 1/4 cup

salt 1 teaspoon (more if you need)

Grind the posto ( poppy seeds) and shorshe ( mustard seeds) with 1 green chili into a paste. I use a Stone or the Sheel Bata to grind the posto and sorshe, but this can be done in good electric grinder too. For the grinder the mustard and poppy seeds have to be soaked for at least 1/2 an hour before grinding.

Next wash the potols and scrape with a knife the skin a little, do not peel the skin. Cut the pointed ends off and make short slits on each end .

In the Posto shorse ( poppy seed and mustard) paste add the salt, turmeric, chili powder and 1/4 cup of water and stir it well and keep aside.

Heat a pan or Kadai.

Keep 2 tablespoons of oil from the 1/4 cup of mustard oil in another bowl and pour the rest into the pan and let it heat to smoking.

Add the Kalo jeera/ kalonji/ nigella seeds to the oil

Stir a bit then put the Potols into the pan and fry for 5 minute on medium heat.

Now pour the Posto sorshe paste mixture and stir fry till a little oil separates on the sides of the potol and gravy.

Pour in the cup of water and and the slit green chilies, cover and let it cook on low flame. After about 5 minutes, remove the cover and check to see if the Potol is soft. When the potols are done, if it is too watery let the gravy dry out a bit more by increasing the heat and letting it boil a couple of minutes more. Sprinkle the mustard oil you had saved over the Potol just before switching off the flame.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve with hot cooked rice.