Potol Posto or Parwal Posto is a traditional Bengali dish featuring pointed gourds (potol) cooked in a rich, creamy paste of poppy seeds, mustard seeds, and aromatic spices.
This flavorful vegetarian dish is an important part of Bengali cuisine, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and spice.
Ingredients like pointed gourds, poppy seeds, mustard seeds, and spices are essential. Let’s dive in for the more details.
Key Takeaways
- Potol Posto is a Bengali classic vegetarian dish made with potol and a rich paste of mustard and poppy seeds.
- The dish is easy to make at home but needs careful preparation to achieve the right texture and outcome.
- You can enjoy the dish with steamed rice, roti, paratha, or luchi.
- Potol Posto offers slightly sweet taste.
- A common alternative to this dish is jhinge or ridge gourd posto. However, you can also try begun or eggplant posto, kumro or pumpkin posto, and chingri or shrimp posto. Postor bora or poppy seed fritters are also worth trying.
The Ingredients:
- Potol or pointed gourds: 500 gm (cut, cleaned, scaled & slitted side wise)
- Posto or poppy seeds: 4 tbsp (soaked for ½ hr & strained)
- Black mustard seeds: 2 tbsp (soaked for ½ hr & strained)
- Green chilis: 8 pieces (red in color)
- Sugar: ½ tbsp
- Turmeric powder: ½ tbsp
- Nigella seeds: ½ tbsp
- Dry red chili: 3 pieces
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil: 4 tbsp
How to Cook Potol Posto (Step by Step Images)?
1. Preparing the Pointed Gourds
First, smear the potol or pointed gourds with ½ tbsp of salt. Set them aside for 10 minutes.
2. Making the Paste
Now, make a smooth paste of poppy seeds, black mustard seeds, and green chilis using a mixer grinder. Add less than ½ tbsp of salt to the mixture. Add 2 tbsp of water and blend until a thick paste forms.
(Pro Tip: If desired, you can use a grinding stone to make the paste. Adding salt prevents bitterness. The paste may appear red due to red chilis; you can use green chilis if preferred.)
3. Frying the Pointed Gourds
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add the potol or pointed gourds. Lightly fry the pointed gourds and remove them from the oil when fried.
(Pro Tip: Be cautious as oil might splatter while adding the pointed gourds.)
4. Tempering
Add 1 tbsp more oil to the same wok. Once the oil is hot, add nigella seeds and dry red chilis. Sauté for 10 seconds. Add turmeric powder and sauté briefly.
5. Adding the Paste and Cooking
Add the prepared paste to the wok. Mix well. Rinse the mixer grinder with water and add the water to the mixture. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
(Pro Tip: For a better color, add turmeric powder to the oil. Avoid keeping turmeric powder in the oil for too long, as it may darken the color.)
6. Adding the Pointed Gourds and Seasoning
Add the fried pointed gourds to the mixture. Stir it nicely. Add ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of sugar. Mix thoroughly. Cook on low heat for 7 minutes, covered.
(Pro Tip: Adjust the amount of salt as per preference.)
7. Preparing the Gravy
After 7 minutes, uncover the dish. You’ll notice moisture in the gravy. Increase the heat to evaporate the excess water. As the spices release their oil, add 1 cup of water. Cover and let it cook.
(Pro Tip: Adjust the amount of water according to desired gravy consistency.)
8. Finishing Touch
Potol posto is almost ready. Add 1 tbsp of raw mustard oil and cover for an additional 1 minute. Turn off the flame.
9. Serving
Transfer the potol posto to a serving bowl. Serve it hot along with steamed rice, roti, paratha, or luchi.
Recipe Card
Potol Posto | Parwal Posto
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pointed gourd (cut, cleaned, scaled & slitted side wise)
- 4 tbsp Poppy seed (soaked for ½ hr & strained)
- 2 tbsp Black mustard seed (soaked for ½ hr & strained)
- 8 pieces Green chili (red in color)
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- ½ tbsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tbsp Nigella seed
- 3 pieces Dry red chili
- 4 tbsp Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First, smear the potol or pointed gourds with ½ tbsp of salt. Set them aside for 10 minutes.
- Now, make a smooth paste of poppy seeds, black mustard seeds, and green chilis using a mixer grinder. Add less than ½ tbsp of salt to the mixture. Add 2 tbsp of water and blend until a thick paste forms.(Pro Tip: If desired, you can use a grinding stone to make the paste. Adding salt prevents bitterness. The paste may appear red due to red chilis; you can use green chilis if preferred.)
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add the potol or pointed gourds. Lightly fry the pointed gourds and remove them from the oil when fried.(Pro Tip: Be cautious as oil might splatter while adding the pointed gourds.)
- Add 1 tbsp more oil to the same wok. Once the oil is hot, add nigella seeds and dry red chilis. Sauté for 10 seconds. Add turmeric powder and sauté briefly.
- Add the prepared paste to the wok. Mix well. Rinse the mixer grinder with water and add the water to the mixture. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.(Pro Tip: For a better color, add turmeric powder to the oil. Avoid keeping turmeric powder in the oil for too long, as it may darken the color.)
- Add the fried pointed gourds to the mixture. Stir it nicely. Add ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of sugar. Mix thoroughly. Cook on low heat for 7 minutes, covered.(Pro Tip: Adjust the amount of salt as per preference.)
- After 7 minutes, uncover the dish. You’ll notice moisture in the gravy. Increase the heat to evaporate the excess water. As the spices release their oil, add 1 cup of water. Cover and let it cook.(Pro Tip: Adjust the amount of water according to desired gravy consistency.)
- Potol posto is almost ready. Add 1 tbsp of raw mustard oil and cover for an additional 1 minute. Turn off the flame.
- Transfer the potol posto to a serving bowl. Serve it hot along with steamed rice, roti, paratha, or luchi.
Video
Notes
- Before grinding the poppy seeds and mustard seeds, make sure you soak for at least half an hour. This will offer a smoother paste. Grind it preferably in a traditional mortar and pestle.
- You can control the heat by reducing or increasing the number of green chilies. It depends on your taste preference.
- I fry the pointed gourd lightly golden brown to achieve the best texture. Fry them carefully as the hot oil might splatter.
- The gravy of potol posto is usually thick. Therefore, to achieve the right consistency add water gradually as required and let it evaporate to intensify the flavor.
- Finish the cooking process by adding a few drops of raw mustard oil and covering the dish for some time. This will allow the oil to infuse perfectly to enhance the essence of the dish.
