Day 37 of Unlock 1.0
A storm is raging outside as I type this recipe now. The weather is really really windy outside and occasional bursts of rain. Doesn't quite feel like monsoon still. Everything is a little weird this year. So no doubt the weather is also playing games with us.
If someone had told me even a few days ago that a vegetable preparation can be made by combining parwal and raw mangoes I would have not believed. They sound too much of a mismatch to go together. One is a tender vegetable without any significant flavor profile and another having a signature aroma and strong taste of its own.
So it happened I came across a recipe posted by Moumita from experiencesofagastronomad and read about a recipe she posted on parwal with raw mango. I got really inquisitive about it though some of the elements she used in her recipe didn't quite strike a chord with my taste buds. I played along with the idea in my mind. Now the first obstacle was to procure parwal. So I am talking about a couple of weeks back when I was not getting any parwal in my area or any of the online stores due to lockdown. I am such a huge parwal lover that I can have parwal in any form and shape all round the year - boiled, sauteed, in subzi, fish curry - you name it and I love it. At times my mom jokes and asks me how did I pick up on this crazy love for this vegetable. Even I do not know the answer but that is how it is.
So coming back to the topic. As I was deliberating with the combination of parwal and aam, I saw parwal showing up on the list of vegetables in bigbasket. Without a moments delay I ordered them. Now the second thing was bouncing off this idea with my most credible recipe critic - my mom. When I explained the recipe to her, she didn't sound too impressed. In fact she suggested that this sounded like a very weird combination. So I was back to the drawing board. The idea was still ringing in my mind. So after much deliberation I decided not to follow the recipe mentioned in her blog but to innovate and align the flavors as per my taste.
I was still not sure of what I am doing or how the end result was going to be. But the moment I added the grated raw mangoes in the oil which was tempered with fenugreek seeds, i loved the aroma it gave off. And that is where I felt I was doing something right.
At the end I am pretty happy with the result. And when I posted about this in my facebook groups, I saw many folks getting excited about this combo and asking me to share the recipe. So for all of them and also for you dear readers who might have stumbled on my blog, the recipe is given below. Adjust the level of mango as per your liking. I wanted the end result to be a little sour, sweet and savory and with a whole lot of bold flavors.
For non-bengali folks who are at time apprehensive of adding mustard paste in their food, let me tell you, in this recipe it is not at all overpowering, but in fact it compliments the comfort of poppy seeds.
Modification: Modified the recipe a bit to add a note about adding fresh coconut. My bad, I had forgot to mention it earlier. So if anyone of you had referred to it earlier make a note of this change.
Soaking Time : 30 min to 1 hour
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes approx
Serving : 4-5 people
Ingredients :
- Potol/Parwal/ Pointed Gourd - 1/2 kg (10-12, tender ones)
- Potato (*Optional) - 2 medium or 1 big
- Raw Mango - 1/2
- Fresh Coconut - 1/4th cup, cut into medium pieces
- Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
- Green chilli - 3 - 4, slitted
- Dry Red Chilli - 2
- Poppy seeds - 3 tbsp
- Black Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - as per taste
- Sugar - 2 tsp minimum
- Mustard Oil - as required
- Water - 1 cup approx
1. In a grinder take the poppy seeds, mustard seeds, fresh coconut pieces, red chilli, 1 green chilli and add about 5 tbsp of water. The intention is to soak the poppy seeds so that they can be ground into a fine paste. Adjust the level of the water so that the poppy seeds are wet but not submerged. Let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Tip: The addition of fresh coconut to any kind of Poshto, gives it an added texture and flavour. And it goes amazingly well. Now i add a little fresh coconut everytime I make any kind of poshto. So please do not skip this if possible.
2. In the meantime, scrape the skin of the parwal in alternate bands and cut them into halves longitudinally. Cut the potato in a similar shape.
Note: Adding potato is totally optional here. But I love potatoes in Poshto hence I added it.
3. Take a wok and heat some mustard oil. When the oil is hot fry the parwals and potatoes in batches. We need to shallow fry them till they get a soft browning around the edges. Take out with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
4. Now it is time to prepare the poppy-mustard paste. Grind the soaked seeds into a fine paste. Do a test by taking some paste between your fingers and you should not feel any particles. If its not smooth yet, add a little more water till it becomes a nice, smooth and thick paste like consistency.
Note: You can also use sil-batta for the same. It gives better results and smoothness if sil-batta is used. But I cannot handle a sil batta hence I use grinder and pulse it multiple times to get the texture.
5. Take half a raw mango and peel off the skin. Grate the mango finely using a grater and keep it aside.
Note: you can increase the amount of mangoes if you want more tanginess, but for me half a mango worked fine.
5. Now in the same wok, add some more mustard oil. When the oil is hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Once fragrant, tip in the grated mango. Keep the flame low while you stir the mango in the oil. Add a little salt to help the mangoes breakdown faster. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
6. The mango will start releasing its aroma, add the poppy-mustard paste at this point. Add the sugar, salt and turmeric. Give it a nice stir and keep frying in the oil. Add a little water and cook till the paste looses all its water and starts to get dry.
Note: Make sure you are stirring frequently, otherwise the poshto paste might stick to teh wok and get burnt.
Tip: frying the poshto paste for a while in oil helps getting rid of the raw smell.
7. At this point, add the fried parwals and potato and green chilli. Fold everything in. The masala should now stick to the vegetables. Add about 1/2 cup water and give it a nice stir. Cook on medium flame for about 5-10 minutes, till the parwal and potato gets soft. Add more water if required. Finally the consistency should be such that the masala is sticking to the vegetables and without any runniness of water.
Tip: Try not to cover and cook, so that the parwal retains its green color.
Once done serve it with steamed rice and dal of your choice. Usually urad daal or bhaja moong daal are the favorite choices to go with Poshto.
Do try this out and tag me (@curriesnstories07) on Instagram on your photos whenever you try the recipe and I will give a shout out to you.
Tip: The addition of fresh coconut to any kind of Poshto, gives it an added texture and flavour. And it goes amazingly well. Now i add a little fresh coconut everytime I make any kind of poshto. So please do not skip this if possible.
2. In the meantime, scrape the skin of the parwal in alternate bands and cut them into halves longitudinally. Cut the potato in a similar shape.
Note: Adding potato is totally optional here. But I love potatoes in Poshto hence I added it.
3. Take a wok and heat some mustard oil. When the oil is hot fry the parwals and potatoes in batches. We need to shallow fry them till they get a soft browning around the edges. Take out with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
4. Now it is time to prepare the poppy-mustard paste. Grind the soaked seeds into a fine paste. Do a test by taking some paste between your fingers and you should not feel any particles. If its not smooth yet, add a little more water till it becomes a nice, smooth and thick paste like consistency.
Note: You can also use sil-batta for the same. It gives better results and smoothness if sil-batta is used. But I cannot handle a sil batta hence I use grinder and pulse it multiple times to get the texture.
5. Take half a raw mango and peel off the skin. Grate the mango finely using a grater and keep it aside.
Note: you can increase the amount of mangoes if you want more tanginess, but for me half a mango worked fine.
5. Now in the same wok, add some more mustard oil. When the oil is hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Once fragrant, tip in the grated mango. Keep the flame low while you stir the mango in the oil. Add a little salt to help the mangoes breakdown faster. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
6. The mango will start releasing its aroma, add the poppy-mustard paste at this point. Add the sugar, salt and turmeric. Give it a nice stir and keep frying in the oil. Add a little water and cook till the paste looses all its water and starts to get dry.
Note: Make sure you are stirring frequently, otherwise the poshto paste might stick to teh wok and get burnt.
Tip: frying the poshto paste for a while in oil helps getting rid of the raw smell.
7. At this point, add the fried parwals and potato and green chilli. Fold everything in. The masala should now stick to the vegetables. Add about 1/2 cup water and give it a nice stir. Cook on medium flame for about 5-10 minutes, till the parwal and potato gets soft. Add more water if required. Finally the consistency should be such that the masala is sticking to the vegetables and without any runniness of water.
Tip: Try not to cover and cook, so that the parwal retains its green color.
Once done serve it with steamed rice and dal of your choice. Usually urad daal or bhaja moong daal are the favorite choices to go with Poshto.
Do try this out and tag me (@curriesnstories07) on Instagram on your photos whenever you try the recipe and I will give a shout out to you.
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