Swati Das transforms a very pedestrian vegetable, that most don't enjoy, into something delightful.
Parval or pointed gourd, potol in Bengali, not everyone's top-of-the-list sabzi choice, when lightly fried in mustard oil, and seasoned spartanly, turns out yum.
Swati has been a masterchef in the kitchen from the early age of 21, whipping up one Bengali delicacy after another. Many of her recipes belong to her late mum Suroma Sinha, as Google and YouTube had not been born yet.
Swati's Fried Potol
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 250 gm parval or pointed gourd
- Mustard oil for shallow frying the parval
- 1 tsp kalonji or onion seeds
- Dash salt
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric
- ½ tsp lal mirch or red chilly powder
Method
- Cut each parval in half and scoop out the seeds.
Some flesh might come out along with seeds and that is not a problem.
Even a slightly yellowed or ripened parval works fine too. - Heat about ½ cup mustard oil in a frying pan over medium heat and allow it to smoke a bit.
Then add the kalonji and fry for a few seconds an then add the parval.
Shallow fry in the mustard oil till it reddens and crisp.
Flip and fry further.
Drain onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Transfer to a bowl and season with salt, haldi, lal mirch powder and toss. - Serve with rotis or dal-rice and a fish curry.
Editor's Note: Consider adding a pinch of hing or asafoetida while seasoning the parval.
Swati Das taught English and Hindi for 25 years at the Bombay Scottish School, Mumbai.
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