Shorshe Posto Diye Potol is a simple and delicious Bengali vegetable dish made with tender pointed gourd (Potol) cooked in a creamy paste of mustard ( Sorshe) and poppy seeds (Posto). The combination of mustard’s gentle sharpness and the nutty flavour of posto gives this traditional dish its distinctive Bengali character.
It is an easy everyday recipe that goes beautifully 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.
I use 2 types of Mustard seed. The black ones are very pungent, so the Yellow Mustard which is milder variety of Mustard, makes the dish a little less sharp and spicy.
Potols are about 4 to 5 inches long. There a small round seeds inside. The skin is thick so we have to partially peel the shin. If the whole skin is peeled we are left with a very soft potol that does not hold its shape.
The dry ingredients are the ones below. The green chilies, used to give the spiciness, we don’t use chili powder.
Shorshe Posto Diye Potol | Bengali Pointed Gourd with Mustard and Poppy Seed Paste
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Scrape the Potols, and partially peel the skin
- Slit the green chilies
- Grind the posto ( poppy seeds) and shorshe ( mustard seeds) with 1 green chili into a paste. I use a Stone or the Sheel Bata ( grinding stone) 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. Then drain out the water and grind.
- 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 or a Pan
- 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.
Notes
- Mustard oil is what we use in this recipe . But you can use vegetable oil if you do not have Mustard oil .
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