Traditional Festive Dish of Bengali Cuisine : Potoler Dorma(stuffed Parwal/pointed Gourd in Onion-Tomato Gravy

Bengali's festive season is going to start very soon, yes, within less than 10 days, and we, bengalis are already in festive mood. Everybody is shopping for new clothes, cleaning and re-decorating their houses and at the same time, food-loving Bengali people are also planning some special menus to prepare during festive days, which is very important part of festive celebration.  
Last weekend, my parents were visiting us after quite a few months and as I am already in festive mood, so I've prepared some festive dishes for them. Today I'm posting a very traditional recipe of Bengali Cuisine, which I wanted to post for long time . "Potoler Dorma", the name itself is quite heavy and it's taste similarly very excuisite. In this recipe, Potol(in bengali) or Parwal or Pointed gourd, is stuffed first with minced meat or minced fish or shrimp, and then cooked in onion-tomato gravy. For vegetarians, it can be stuffed also with vegetables. I've used minced fish here.

For this recipe, you should choose the long and thick ones, then it would be easy to stuff.

Ingredients :
Parwal : 8-10(as you need)
For stuffing:
Minced fish/fish keema : for the recipe, please click here, I've added extra green peas this time and  made the rest as it is
For gravy :
Bay leaf : 1
Whole garam masala : 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, 4 cloves
Onion : 2(medium, thinly sliced)
Ginger : 1" piece
Green chilli : 1
Tomato : 1(big) or 2(small)
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1tsp.
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp.
Garam masala powder : 1 tsp.( grounded powder of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.(for gravy) + 1 tblsp.( for frying the parwal/pointed gourds)

Method :

• Wash and clean the parwals. First scrape the whole skin of the parwals with a knife. cut one tip a little, right from the edge and the other tip little big, so that we can enter back of a spoon to scoop out the seeds from inside. Do not throw the seeds, usually it is used in the filling, but I didn't. I love to eat parwal seeds, so prepared something else with them, I'm giving the recipe at the end of the post. Rub with a pinch of salt and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

  

• In the meantime, you can prepare the filling. Please click the link I provided in the ingredients list(I'm not writing the recipe again as I posted the same earlier) and prepare the filling according to the recipe. I added green peas at the last and mixed with the fish keema for this filling.

 

• Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, fry the parwals or patols until lightly brown from all sides, keep aside. When parwals are cooled, stuff each one with the prepared filling. Carefully fill the parwals using your finger and try not to break them.Keep aside.

 

• To prepare the gravy, in the same pan, add little more oil for the gravy, when hot add bay leaf first, then cardamom, cinnamon & cloves together, when aroma comes out, add sliced onions and saute them until they change color, then ginger-green chilli paste and again saute for 1 minute, then add chopped tomatoes and saute until tomatoes turn soft. Then add turmeric, chilli and cumin-coriander powder and 2 tblsp. water and mix well with onion-tomatoes. Stir well until oil seperates. 
• Now add stuffed parwal/potols in the gravy and add 1 cup water. Season with salt and let it cook covered for 7-8 minutes or gravy has thickened and parwals are cooked. Lastly add powdered garam masala powder, mix well in the gravy and remove from fire. 

 

• Poteler Dorma or Stuffed parwal is ready to serve. Enjoy this with plain rice or light Pulao.