AI-generated image
Aloo potoler dalna
Potato and pointed gourd curry
আলু পটলের ডালনা (aloo potoler dalna): pointed gourd and potato in a ginger-cumin tomato gravy
Pointed gourd (potol) floods the markets of Kolkata in summer, and aloo potoler dalna is how most Bengali homes cook it for a weekday lunch or a light Sunday meal. Half-peeled gourds and halved potatoes are fried until golden, then simmered in a loose gravy of ginger, cumin and tomato and finished with ghee and garam masala, so it tastes warm and gently sweet rather than hot. Serve it with rice or luchi. The usual mistake is peeling the gourds completely, which makes them fall apart; scrape off only the waxy skin in stripes. Chef's tip: prick each gourd once with a fork before frying so the gravy can soak into the seeds.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz pointed gourds (potol)skin scraped in stripes, ends trimmed
- 2 potatoespeeled and halved
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- ¾ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tomatochopped
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp garam masala
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Prick each 14 oz pointed gourds (potol) once with a fork. Rub 14 oz pointed gourds (potol) and 2 potatoes with half the ⅜ tsp ground turmeric and half the ½ tsp salt.
3 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a karai over a medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes for 6 minutes and the gourds for 4 minutes, turning, until golden all over. Lift them out.
10 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 bay leaves to the oil; when they crackle, stir in 1 tbsp ginger paste and cook for 1 minute until it smells sweet.
2 minStep 4: Add 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, the rest of the ⅜ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tomato with a splash of water. Cook for 4 minutes until the tomato breaks down and oil shows at the edges.
4 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tbsp ghee and ½ tsp garam masala, cover off the heat for 2 minutes and serve.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aloo potoler dalna take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushroomsBraised tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Vietnamese
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.