Potoler Dorma: Festive Stuffed Pointed Gourds
Ah, Potoler Dorma! Just the name conjures up images of festive Bengali meals, doesn’t it? Picture this: a lazy afternoon sun streaming through the windows, the aroma of spices gently wafting from the kitchen, and the happy chatter of family gathered for a celebration. And at the heart of it all, a dish of plump pointed gourds, lovingly stuffed and simmered to perfection – Potoler Dorma. Today, we’re going to recreate this magic, with a little twist of health using Rice Bran Oil.
Yields: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
Potol:
- 12-14 medium potol, scraped and seeded
- ½ tsp turmeric, pinch of salt
- Rice Bran Oil for frying
Stuffing:
- 150g crumbled paneer
- 30g grated khoya kheer (optional)
- 1 tbsp raisins, ½ tbsp chopped cashews
- ½ green chili (chopped), ½ tsp ginger paste
- ¼ tsp garam masala, ¼ tsp sugar, salt to taste
Gravy:
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric, pinch of red chili powder (optional)
- Pinch of garam masala
- 1 medium tomato (pureed)
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tbsp Rice Bran Oil
- ½ tbsp ghee (optional)
- 1 green cardamom, small cinnamon stick, 1 clove
- Salt, chopped coriander for garnish
Instructions:
- Prep Potol: Gently scrape potol, slit lengthwise, and scoop seeds. Rub with turmeric and salt.
- Make Stuffing: Mix paneer, khoya kheer (if using), raisins, cashews, chili, ginger, garam masala, sugar, and salt.
- Stuff Potol: Fill each potol with the mixture.
- Fry Potol: Shallow fry stuffed potol in Rice Bran Oil until light golden. Set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same pan, heat Rice Bran Oil (and ghee). Add cardamom, cinnamon, clove. Sauté onion until golden.
- Add Spices: Stir in ginger-garlic paste, then cumin, coriander, turmeric, and red chili powder. Sauté briefly.
- Cook Tomato: Add tomato puree and cook until oil separates.
- Simmer in Milk: Pour in milk, add salt and garam masala. Bring to a simmer.
- Add Potol: Gently place fried potol in the gravy. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 mins until tender and gravy thickens.
- Garnish & Serve: Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with rice or pulao.
Enjoy this quicker route to a festive favorite, enriched with the goodness of Rice Bran Oil!