About The Author
Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
Doi potol is a versatile dish that very surprisingly does not figure in Indian restaurants outside Bengal.
The doi potol is a curd based dish cooked with pointed gourds as the main ingredient and spices to compliment and balance the flavors.
An all-out vegetarian affair, this dish is cooked in Bengali kitchen once in a while, when you have to serve a guest.
What Makes Doi Potol Recipe Worth Trying?
A fine blend of the tang from the curd, sweetness from the sugar and the flavors from the spices! And you have a versatile vegetable like the the potol (or pointed gourd) to absorb these flavors.
How to Cook Your Doi Potol Near Perfect?
No one can term a recipe as perfect as human beings have varying degrees of taste buds. However, recipes can be near perfect.
And if you keep a few points in mind from start till finish, the recipe will turn out extremely flavorsome. And your guests will keep their fingers licking.
Buying the Right Pointed Gourd
The main ingredient of the doi potol is the pointed gourd and you must get the younger (tender) pointed gourds when you go to the market.
Nothing better if you can get desi ones, even the hybrid ones work equally good.
Avoid purchasing pointed gourd that are ripe.
Preparing the Pointed Gourd for the Doi Potol
There are two methods you can follow to peel the pointed gourd.
- Peel the potol or pointed gourd completely – Many prefer this as they do not prefer cooking with the skin on
- Peel the gourds spaced out – In this method, some skin is left on the vegetable. Instead of removing the skin entirely.
Once you have taken the skins off, remove a tiny portion of the vegetable from each end.
Using a knife slit from both ends. However, do not cut the vegetable into halves. Between the two slits, keep a centimeter or half.
Slitting the pointed gourd (potol) from both ends help the flavors of the curd and spices to seep through.
Handling the Curd
The second most important part of the recipe is the curd itself.
While fresh curd is recommended, what is important is to ensure that you whisk the curd properly before adding it to the wok.
The easiest way to do this is to add the curd to your mixer or grinder and whisk it for a few seconds. You may also use a hand blender to get the job done.
Spices & Sugar
The spices and sugar play an important role in balancing the tangy flavor of the curd.
The Original Doi Potol Recipe
It is important to note that the authentic doi potol cooked in the 19th century and early 20th century did not contain spices and sugar. It also followed a different cooking technique. Hopefully I will cover that in the upcoming blogs.
The dish is inherently on the sweeter side.
Traditional recipes do not include powdered garam masala. Whole spices are used for flavoring.
Is the Doi Potol A No Onion No Garlic Recipe?
When a doi potol recipe is cooked, traditionally, onion and garlic is not added making it a pure-vegetarian pointed gourd recipe.
In the 21st century, many people add onion and garlic in a bid to increase the flavors of the dish.
I do not subscribe to this view of adding onion, garlic, cheese to any random dish and hence the recipe below does not include onion and garlic.
Note
The equipment & ingredient quantity provided in this recipe is to assist you in cooking this dish. Feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Remember that we all have different set, size & shape of kitchen tools in our pantry.
Equipment
- 1 Wok and spatula
- 1 Knife, peeler and chopping board
- 1 Mixie
- Preparation & serving bowls
Ingredients
- 8 pc pointed gourd or potol tender ones are best
- 4 tsp mustard oil for frying and curry
- 2 tsp ginger paste or very finely chopped ginger
- 2 pc green chili
- 1 cup curd well whisked, should be lump free
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tsp sugar, based on affinity towards sweetness
- 2 tsp ghee optional, required at the end of the dish
Spice Powder to be Made into a Paste for Doi Potol Recipe
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Whole Spices for Tempering
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 pc cardamom
- 2 pc clove
Instructions
Prepare for the Doi Potol
- Using a knife scrape off the skin from the pointed gourds. Cut off the ends of the vegetable and slit from both ends
- Make ginger and green chili paste. Alternatively, you may finely mince/chop them also
- In a small bowl, add water. To this add all the powdered spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder and cumin powder. Stir to mix and keep aside. This mix should be semi watery – not too thick, nor too thin
Frying the Pointed Gourd
- Take a wok and switch on the flame
- Once hot, add enough mustard oil to sauté the pointed gourds
- When the oil begins smoking, carefully drop in the pointed gourd one by one. Depending on the size of the wok, you may sauté in batches
- Lightly fry on all sides evenly on a low to medium flame. Avoid complete browning of the pointed gourds. When the color begins to change, you will know that it is done. Take out and keep aside
- Repeat the above two steps for all the remaining pointed gourd or potol
How to Cook the Bengali Doi Potol Recipe?
- After frying the pointed gourds, you will have enough oil present in the wok. If needed, add in a tsp of mustard oil
- When the oil smokes, ensure that the flame is on medium
- Add the whole spices like cinnamon stick, cardamom and clove and sauté for around 30 seconds
- Lower the flame
- Add the ginger and green chili paste or the minced ginger and green chili. The ginger and green chili paste may splutter and hence it is important to keep a safe distance to avoid getting hurt.
- You may add in some water to avoid the spices from burning. Saute till the raw flavor is gone
- Add in the spice mix prepared previously. Saute on a low to medium flame, till the spices get cooked. If the spices start sticking to the bottom of the wok, splash in some water to avoid the spices from burning. Cook till the oil starts separating
- When the oil starts separating, whisk the curd properly to avoid lumps and add it to the mix
- Give the curd a good stir to ensure that it mixes with the spices in the wok
- Once the curd has integrated with the spices, add in water, salt and sugar
- Crank up the heat to medium
- Allow this to come to a boil and then add the sauted pointed gourd
- Cook covered for 10 minutes
- Uncover and check for seasonings. If required adjust. This dish should be on the sweeter end
- Switch off the flame
- Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of ghee and keep covered until it is time to serve
- Serve hot with rice and/or bread (roti, chapati, poori)
Notes
- Whisk the curd properly before adding to the wok. Since the wok is extremely hot, there are high chances that the curd will curdle and disintegrate if you do not whisk prior adding. After adding, stir in nicely for a couple of minutes till the curd has blended itself into the gravy
- This is a no onion no garlic recipe
- While many prefer adding garam masala towards the end, this is not a compulsory step
- Add ghee after the cooking is over, it always gives whiff of deliciousness as you serve and savor
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