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.
Another Bengali delight with a punch of flavors, Potol Chingri (পটল চিংড়ি) is an uncanny combination with a successful marriage.
Pointed gourds or potol (পটল), chopped into cube-sized pieces, are cooked along with prawns in a spice-based gravy – that’s what defines potol chingri.
Not Spicy Hot
Although I have mentioned that the dish is cooked in a spice-based gravy, this dish is not something that will set your tongue on fire. The flavors are nicely balanced out and you can even taste a mild sweetness in the dish.
In a world where the Bengali population is looking towards the West for food inspiration, versatile dishes like this are slipping into oblivion.
Getting Your Potol Chingri (পটল চিংড়ি) Recipe Right
Follow these tips to ensure that your potol chingri turns out right.
Select the Right Prawns for the Bengali Style Potol Chingri
Get fresh prawns for the best results. Frozen prawns should be your last resort.
Follow the following to ensure that your prawns are fresh.
- It should feel moist, and not dry
- The prawn should not have a fishy smell. Fishy smell is a sign that the prawn was harvested days back
- Avoid prawns with cracked shells
- The prawns must feel firm and not limp or slimy
- If prawns smell like ammonia, it is a sign of spoilage
If you are choosing frozen prawns, have an eye for the following.
- Avoid buying if you notice the prawns are bendable, have freezer burn or torn/broken packaging
- Avoid choosing frozen prawns that have any spots or white discoloration
- Do not forget to rinse frozen prawns before using in your potol chingri curry or any curry
- Do not cook the frozen prawns directly from the freezer, allow it to come to room temperature
When it comes to the size, medium sized prawns are recommended like shown in the image below.
Get the prawns deveined (personal preference, it may not be needed) and if you are in a scenario where you have to buy them whole and devein them at home, follow the guide for making a tough task look easier.
How Long to Fry the Prawns
Many make the mistake of sautéing the prawn for a long time.
You must never sauté the prawns for long, as that will toughen up the meat and make it chewy – something that you would never enjoy.
Prawns may only be sautéed for a few seconds (20-30 seconds) on medium flame and taken off.
The Pointed Gourds (পটল)
The pointed gourd (পটল) for the potol chingri recipe must be chopped in medium-sized pieces horizontally.
An Amalgamation of Flavors
The lightly sautéed pointed gourds (পটল) soak up the flavors from the prawns seared in the spice-based gravy. Plump with these unexplainable flavors, the pieces of pointed gourd seem to pop open once you take a bite. You can smell and taste the aroma almost immediately.
For this recipe, you have the option of peeling the pointed gourds in either of the two ways.
- Peel all the skin – Normally this is what most of us do today. We peel off the skin completely
- Peel some of the skin – In Bengali this is called as “Badhiye Chharano” (বাঁধিয়ে ছাড়ানো) like shown below.
Fry the chopped pointed gourds lightly so that the outer skin loses its natural color. This is normally done to ward off the raw flavor from the vegetables. Do not deep fry the pointed gourds.
The Potol Chingri Gravy – How Much is Enough?
The potol chingry gravy has a smooth texture that borders on the lines of being creamy if you add curd.
This is not a watery thin gravy, nor is this dry. It is somewhere in between, and hence makes for a delicious side dish with rice.
Serving Instructions for Potol Chingri
Serve the potol chingri luke warm with steaming rice.
The dish provides a depth of flavors when you allow the curry to rest for about half an hour. This resting period cools down the dish and the pointed gourds get enough time to soak up the deliciousness and richness around.
Curd or Tomatoes or Both?
You can go with either, while I prefer curd because it gives the gravy a creamier texture. Not to forget that it blends well with the spices and other ingredients.
The Tangy Doi Potol
Did you try our Doi Potol Recipe already? If not, give it a try!
Before and you add the curd, remember the following.
- Before adding the curd, whisk the curd well to avoid curdling. Either use a spoon or use or your blender. Even 2-3 seconds of churning the curd in your humble mixer-grinder does the job (this is what I do)
- Lower the flame before you add the curd
- Once you have added the curd, stir continuously till you find that the curd has blended well with the rest of the gravy
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 and chopping board
- Preparation and serving bowls
Ingredients
- 12 pc pointed gourd
- 300 g medium-sized prawns deveined
- 2 pc potato
For the Potol Chingri Gravy
- 4 tsp mustard oil for frying and cooking the meal
- 2 pc onion big sized
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder Kashmiri/Byadgi chilis for color, optional
- 2 pc green chilis finely chopped, reduce/increase based on heat tolerance
- 1/3 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 cup curd or 100g curd, alternatively use 1 big-sized tomato for 4 servings
- 1 cup water small-sized cup or 1/2 coffee mug
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch garam masala optional
- 1 tsp ghee optional
Instructions
Prepare for the Potol Chingri
- Peel and chop each of the pointed gourd into 2-3 pieces depending on the size. for larger sized pointed gourd, 3 pieces should be fine. Do not forget to remove the ends before peeling or cutting into pieces
- Peel the potatoes and dice them. A medium sized potato should yield about 8 chunky pieces
- Peel and finely chop the onions, ginger, garlic and the green chilis. Keep separate. Alternatively, use garlic paste
How to Cook Bengali Style Potol Chingri at Home
- Put on the wok and switch on the flame
- Add mustard oil (around 2 tsp) and allow the oil to smoke
- Ensure that the flame is on medium
- Drop in the potatoes and saute till the edges turn brown. Take out of the wok and keep separate
- Add in the chopped pointed gourds and saute till the sides change color. Take out and keep separate
- Carefully add in the prawns. Saute for 30 seconds and take off the heat
- Now add the remaining oil and once it smokes, add in the chopped onions
- Saute till the onions turn golden brown
- Add in the chopped green chilis, along with the ginger and garlic paste and turmeric powder
- Saute the spice properly till the raw smell persists and the oil starts leaving the sides
- Lower the flame
- Add in the red chili powder (for color and this is optional) and pour over the curd. Ensure that the curd is very well whisked so that it does not begin to curdle once it comes in contact with the heat
- Cook this on medium flame till the curd integrates with the spice mix
- Increase the flame to medium
- Add in the sautéed potatoes to this. Give this a nice mix and allow to cook covered for few minutes
- Uncover, and add in the sautéed pointed gourd. Cook covered for another couple of minutes
- Now take off the lid, add in the sautéed prawns and give it a nice mix
- Add in the water and allow it to come to a boil
- Add salt and sugar and cook covered for another 5 minutes
- Uncover, and check for seasonings. If required adjust
- Lower the flame and simmer till the dish gives a semi-dry appearance
- You may add a pinch of garam masala optionally. Switch off the flame
- Add the ghee (optional) and give this a nice mix
- Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes
- Serve with steaming hot rice
Notes
- Prefer using medium-sized prawns. If unavailable, you may use frozen prawns as well from a trusted source/brand – but remember, frozen prawns lack the depth or flavor that fresh prawns have
- You may replace curd with tomatoes for the tanginess
- Never fry the prawns for long as it will only turn rubbery. Sauté on medium flame for 30 seconds for best results
- The amount of water is based on personal preference. Usually, this is a semi-gravy dish which means it is not dry, but also does not have watery gravy. For a family of four, use the water measurement provided above
- While adding the curd ensure that the flame is lowered, the curd should be whisked well before adding to the wok