Potol Korma is a traditional Bengali dish that features pointed gourd (potol) cooked in a rich and aromatic curry.
The dish is known for its creamy texture, balanced use of spices, and the incorporation of ingredients like yogurt, coconut milk, and cashew paste.
The distinctive feature of Potol Korma lies in its ability to bring together the mild bitterness of potol and the creamy, mildly spiced gravy, resulting in delicious dish.
Key Takeaways
- Potol Korma is a traditional and very popular Bengali dish.
- The dish features pointed gourd or potol in a rich and thick aromatic gravy.
- This delectable dish is best enjoyed with steamed rice, pulao, or Indian breads like roti or naan.
- Potol Korma alternatives include similar korma preparation with paneer, chicken, mushroom, or vegetables. Navratan korma, shahi korma, and even dal makhani, malai kofta, and lauki kofta curry can be close substitutes.
The Ingredients
- Potol or pointed gourd or parwal: 500 gm (peeled, slit longitudinally & cleaned)
- Dry red chili: 2 pieces
- Cumin seeds: ½ tbsp
- Green cardamom: 4 pieces (busted)
- Cloves: 2 pieces
- Bay leaf: 1 piece (broken into halves)
- Cinnamon stick: 2 pieces (broken into haves)
- Garam masala: 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
- Red chili powder: 1 tbsp
- Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
- Garlic: 5 cloves (grated)
- Ginger: 1 inch (grated)
- Onion: 1 medium size (chopped)
- Ghee or fortified butter: 1 tbsp
- Sugar: ½ tbsp
- Yogurt: 100 gm
- Cashew paste: 2 tbsp
- Coconut milk: 1 cup (homemade)
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil: 5 tbsp
How to Cook Potol Korma (Step by Step Images)?
Preparing the Potol
1. At first cut both edges of potol or pointed gourds and slightly peel the skin. Then with a knife slit in between the halves of it so the spices and the gravy can easily enter it while cooking.
Preparing the Paste
2. First, prepare a paste in the mixing bowl by adding yogurt, ½ tbsp or more turmeric powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix everything thoroughly, adding a little bit of water to create a smooth paste. Beat all the ingredients together and set it aside.
The Cooking
3. Next, heat 3 tbsp of mustard oil in a wok until it becomes hot. Add the potol or pointed gourds into the hot oil and stir-fry them over medium heat.
4. Sprinkle ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of turmeric powder and continue frying until the gourds turn light brown in color. Flip the pointed gourds to fry them evenly on all sides.
(Pro tip: You can marinate the pointed gourds with salt & turmeric before frying and adjust the amount of oil as per your preference. Be cautious to avoid splattering when adding anything into the hot oil.)
5. Once the pointed gourds are fried, remove them from the wok and set them on a plate. Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to the same wok and heat it up.
6. Now, add all the whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaf, dry red chili, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves. Sauté them for a few seconds until they release a pleasant aroma.
7. Then, add the chopped onions and continue stirring until they turn golden brown in color. Add the grated ginger and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
8. Now, add the previously prepared spice paste to the wok. Sauté everything and cook it over low heat. Add a little bit of water to the bowl containing the spice paste and use this spice mixed water to adjust the consistency in the wok. Stir everything well for 5 minutes until the oil starts to release.
9. Next, add the fried potol or pointed gourds to the wok and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp salt and cashew paste. Rinse the cashew paste bowl with a little bit of water and add this paste mixed water into the curry. Stir everything thoroughly.
10. Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into the curry. Mix everything and cover it for 5 minutes.
11. After 5 minutes, uncover the wok and you will find that it is almost done. Now, add the remaining coconut milk and cover it again for 2 minutes.
12. Uncover the wok, and you will see that the korma is ready. Add 1 tbsp sugar, garam masala, and 1 tbsp ghee. Cover it with a lid for a few more minutes.
13. Finally, open the lid, and your Potol Korma or Parwal Korma is ready to serve.
14. Transfer Potol Korma to a serving bowl and serve it with steamed rice, roti or paratha.
Recipe Card:
Potol Korma (Parwal Korma)
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pointed gourd (peeled, slit longitudinally & cleaned)
- 2 pieces Dry red chili
- ½ tbsp Cumin seed
- 4 pieces Green cardamom
- 2 pieces Clove
- 1 piece Bay leaf (broken into halves)
- 2 pieces Cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp Garam masala
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Red chili powder
- tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder (grated)
- 1 inch Ginger (grated)
- 1 piece Onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- 100 grams Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Cashew paste
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 5 tbsp Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- At first cut both edges of potol or pointed gourds and slightly peel the skin. Then with a knife slit in between the halves of it so the spices and the gravy can easily enter it while cooking.
- First, prepare a paste in the mixing bowl by adding yogurt, ½ tbsp or more turmeric powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix everything thoroughly, adding a little bit of water to create a smooth paste. Beat all the ingredients together and set it aside.
- Next, heat 3 tbsp of mustard oil in a wok until it becomes hot. Add the potol or pointed gourds into the hot oil and stir-fry them over medium heat.
- Sprinkle ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of turmeric powder and continue frying until the gourds turn light brown in color. Flip the pointed gourds to fry them evenly on all sides.(Pro tip: You can marinate the pointed gourds with salt & turmeric before frying and adjust the amount of oil as per your preference. Be cautious to avoid splattering when adding anything into the hot oil.)
- Once the pointed gourds are fried, remove them from the wok and set them on a plate. Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to the same wok and heat it up.
- Now, add all the whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaf, dry red chili, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves. Sauté them for a few seconds until they release a pleasant aroma.
- Then, add the chopped onions and continue stirring until they turn golden brown in color. Add the grated ginger and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Now, add the previously prepared spice paste to the wok. Sauté everything and cook it over low heat. Add a little bit of water to the bowl containing the spice paste and use this spice mixed water to adjust the consistency in the wok. Stir everything well for 5 minutes until the oil starts to release.
- Next, add the fried potol or pointed gourds to the wok and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp salt and cashew paste. Rinse the cashew paste bowl with a little bit of water and add this paste mixed water into the curry. Stir everything thoroughly.
- Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into the curry. Mix everything and cover it for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, uncover the wok and you will find that it is almost done. Now, add the remaining coconut milk and cover it again for 2 minutes.
- Uncover the wok, and you will see that the korma is ready. Add 1 tbsp sugar, garam masala, and 1 tbsp ghee. Cover it with a lid for a few more minutes.
- Finally, open the lid, and your Potol Korma or Parwal Korma is ready to serve.
- Transfer Potol Korma to a serving bowl and serve it with steamed rice, roti or paratha.
Video
Notes
- Choose only fresh and tender potol (pointed gourd) to make this dish for the desired taste and texture. Do not use mature pointed gourd with a tough skin.
- Wash and peel the skin from the potol nicely. Ideally, you should cook them whole but you can cut them into half or quarter pieces according to your choice. To remove the bitter taste and retain the vibrant green color of potol, soak the pieces in saline water for some time.
- I fry the pieces of pointed gourd lightly before adding them to the actual gravy. Use a little bit of oil for frying. Lightly fried potol will enhance the flavor as well as the texture of the eventual dish.
- While using the yogurt, make sure it is whisked properly. Also, ensure you stir it continuously while adding. This will prevent it from clotting and adversely affect the texture of the eventual dish.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic to make the paste. Make sure you sauté it along with the other spices. This will add to the taste and flavor of the dish as well. do not overcook to lose the texture of the gravy and the dish. Simmer it on a low flame until the pieces are tender and the flavors meld perfectly.
