Shorshe potol recipe | Bengali potol recipe | Bengali veg recipe

Shorshe potol is a delectable and comforting dish and one of the most popular niramish recipes among Bengalis. It is a no onion no garlic recipe which is perfect for niramish aka puja days. It is frequently prepared in bengali households and authentic Bengali restaurants during summer when fresh and tender pointed gourds are easily available. In this preparation, fried pointed gourds are cooked with mustard seeds-coconut paste using minimal spices. Shorshe potol recipe is basically a semi-dry curry which is mostly relished with steamed rice.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of pointed Gourd
How to make Shorshe Potol (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

The recipe name shorshe potol itself explains the dish. It is a pure Bengali name where the word ‘Shorshe’ means ‘Mustard seeds’ which is known as ‘Sarso’ in Hindi and ‘Potol’ stands for ‘pointed Gourd’ or ‘Parwal’- in Hindi

Shorshe potol is a pure Bengali veg recipe. Bengalis are scrupulous about vegetarian food and they split it into two different parts. One division is called satvik food where onion, garlic and even masoor dal are prohibited. In another division, normal vegetarian dishes are prepared using onion and garlic. The traditional shorshe potol recipe belongs to satvik category where onion-garlic is not used.

No onion garlic recipes play a vital role in any Bong house because, in most of the Bong houses, they consider at least a day from the week, other than puja days, as a no onion garlic day or a veg day. These recipes work absolutely stunning on those days. In fact, many other Bengali posto recipes play a vital role during these vegetarian days and puja days.

There is an eternal relationship between shorshe and Bengali cuisine. Both are incomplete without each other. There are many salivating vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that are prepared with this magical ingredient. Shorshe (mustard seeds) has a very regular use in the Bengali kitchen. Shorshe is regularly used in chorchori, bhapa, jhal and many other dishes.

Bengali veg recipes have always attracted me since my childhood. It’s strange but true that I equally love Bengali veg food as non-vegetarian ones. I still remember how I used to wait for Saturdays because that is the veg day of the week in our house. My mom used to cook many amazing niramish recipes like jhuri aloo bhaja, narkel diye dal, different types of shorshe recipes, dalna, chorchori etc.

Shorshe potol is a very simple and easy recipe and the difficulty level of cooking this dish is low. It could be a perfect option for beginners. The longest part of the recipe is to cut and clean the pointed gourds. Other than this, it gets prepared very quickly without any hassle. All the ingredients to prepare the dish are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. The best part of the recipe is that you don’t need to drop your tears to chop the onions.

Shorshe potol with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the key ingredient pointed gourd.

• Pointed gourd acts as a blood purifier. It helps to purify our blood.
• It increases the immunity power of our bodies.
• It is easy to digest and good for our digestive system.
• It is low in calories and contains pretty good fibre which is great for weight loss.

To prepare shorshe potol recipe, first soak black and yellow Mustard seeds in water for 15 minutes. Then drain the excess water and transfer it to a jar of a grinder. Add some green chillies, a pinch of salt, water and grind it to a smooth paste. Add some coconut and pulse it again to a smooth paste. Keep it aside. Every Bengali prefers a pungent taste and flavour for Shorshe potol recipe. The addition of black mustard seeds along with yellow mustard seeds makes the flavour much stronger.

Cutting and cleaning pointed gourds (parwal) is one of the most important parts of the recipe. First cut both the edges of all the pointed gourds and then partially peel their skin. Split the pointed gourds slightly with the help of a knife from the sides. But make sure it should not get cut into pieces. Then wash the potol aka pointed gourds nicely.

Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on the washed pointed gourds and rub them evenly on each piece.

Now take a pan and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated pointed gourds and fry them evenly till the potol aka pointed gourds get cooked and brown spots occur. Then drain them from the oil and keep them aside on a separate plate.

Now, in the same pan, add oil if required and allow it to become hot. Add whole spices – dry red chillies, nigella seeds into the pan and let them crackle.

Add the mustard seeds-coconut paste into the pan and cook it on medium flame until the raw smell disappears and the oil gets released. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes.

Add the fried pointed gourds, green chillies into the pan and mix with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.

Then add water to the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling and then put the flame on low. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes. Usually, the shorshe potol recipe is a semi-dry curry so add the water accordingly.

Add sugar, at the final stage of cooking and give a nice mix. Turn the flame high and cook for a few seconds and then switch off the.

Many Bengali parwal recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check a few of them like

Potol posto
Doi potol
Aloo potoler dalna

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 tablespoon yellow Mustard seeds (shorshe)
• 1 tablespoon black Mustard seeds (kalo shorshe)
• ¼ cup grated Coconut
• 2 green Chillies
• 4 tablespoons Water

• 20 medium-sized pointed Gourds (Potol or Parwal)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, to marinate the pointed gourds
• ½ teaspoon Salt, to marinate the pointed gourds
• 1 dry red Chilli (Sukhi lal mirch or Shukno lanka)
• ½ teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalonji or Kalojeere)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• ¾ cup Water for Gravy
• 3 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking

1. Cut both the edges of all the pointed gourds.
2. Partially peel the skin of the pointed gourds as shown in the picture.
3. Split the pointed gourds slightly with the help of a knife from the sides. But make sure it should not get cut into pieces.
4. Wash them nicely and keep them aside.

1. Soak 1 tablespoon of black mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds in water for 15 minutes and then drain the excess water.
2. Transfer the soaked mustard seeds into a jar of mixer grinder. Add 2-3 green chillies, a pinch of salt, ¼ cup water into the jar and close the lid. Grind it to a smooth paste.
3. Add ¼ cup grated coconut into the jar and close the lid. Pulse it once again for a few more seconds and make a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.

1. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder on the washed pointed gourds and rub them evenly on each piece.
2. Now, take a pan and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons mustard oil into it.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated pointed gourds and fry them evenly over medium flame for 10-12 minutes till the potol aka pointed gourds get soft and brown spots occur. Then drain them from the oil and keep them aside on a separate plate.
4. Now, in the same pan, add oil if required and then add whole spices – 1 dry red chilli, ½ teaspoon nigella seeds into the pan and let them crackle.
5. Add the mustard seeds-coconut paste into the pan and cook it on medium flame until the raw smell disappears and oil gets released.
6. Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes.
7. Add the fried pointed gourds, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add ¾ cup water into the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling and then put the flame on low. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes. Note: Usually, the shorshe potol recipe is a semi-dry curry so add the water accordingly.
9. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, at the final stage of cooking and give a nice mix.
10. Turn the flame high and cook for a few seconds and then switch off the flame.

Transfer the shorshe potol recipe into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the comfort food with steamed Basmati rice and enjoy your comfort meal.

Shorshe potol recipe | Bengali potol recipe | Bengali veg recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 cup = 250 ml

For the mustard seeds paste

• 1 tablespoon yellow Mustard seeds (shorshe)
• 1 tablespoon black Mustard seeds (kalo shorshe)
• ¼ cup grated Coconut
• 2 green Chillies
• 4 tablespoons Water

Other ingredients for shorshe potol

• 20 medium-sized pointed Gourds (Potol or Parwal)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, to marinate the pointed gourds
• ½ teaspoon Salt, to marinate the pointed gourds
• 1 dry red Chilli (Sukhi lal mirch or Shukno lanka)
• ½ teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalonji or Kalojeere)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• ¾ cup Water for Gravy
• 3 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking

Instructions

To cut the Pointed gourds (Parwal)

1. Cut both the edges of all the pointed gourds.
2. Partially peel the skin of the pointed gourds as shown in the picture.
3. Split the pointed gourds slightly with the help of a knife from the sides. But make sure it should not get cut into pieces.
4. Wash them nicely and keep them aside.

For the mustard seeds paste

1. Soak 1 tablespoon of black mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds in water for 15 minutes and then drain the excess water.

1. Transfer the soaked mustard seeds into a jar of mixer grinder. Add 2-3 green chillies, a pinch of salt, ¼ cup water into the jar and close the lid. Grind it to a smooth paste.
2. Add ¼ cup grated coconut into the jar and close the lid. Pulse it once again for a few more seconds and make a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.

For the shorshe potol

1. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder on the washed pointed gourds and rub them evenly on each piece.
2. Now, take a pan and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons mustard oil into it.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated pointed gourds and fry them evenly over medium flame for 10-12 minutes till the potol aka pointed gourds get soft and brown spots occur. Then drain them from the oil and keep them aside on a separate plate.
4. Now, in the same pan, add oil if required and then add whole spices - 1 dry red chilli, ½ teaspoon nigella seeds into the pan and let them crackle.
5. Add the mustard seeds-coconut paste into the pan and cook it on medium flame until the raw smell disappears and oil gets released.
6. Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes.
7. Add the fried pointed gourds, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add ¾ cup water into the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame on high until the gravy starts boiling and then put the flame on low. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes. Note: Usually, the shorshe potol recipe is a semi-dry curry so add the water accordingly.
9. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, at the final stage of cooking and give a nice mix.
10. Turn the flame high and cook for a few seconds and then switch off the.