Doodh Potol
A deceptively simple Bengali recipe of small potol (pointed gourds) stewed in a milk-based sauce. Don’t try this recipe with larger potol!
- Cooking time30 minutes
Calories88kcal
Doodh potol–this delightful Bengali niramish potol (pointed gourd or parwal) recipe is simple, quick, and tastes unbelievably good for the amount of time and effort it takes. It is a summer speciality as potol are in season. Doodh potol is made with ‘kochi’ potol or baby potol that do not yet have hard seeds. The vegetable soaks up the curry and becomes soft and juicy. Each potol, when eaten, bursts in your mouth releasing the delicate curry. Do not try and recreate this potol recipe using larger potol—it will not taste very good. This preparation is creamy yet light, and looks incredibly special even though can be put together in less than 30 minutes. A must-have during the summer months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
- 500 g small, kochi potol (pointed gourd)
- 20 g vegetable oil
- 2 pcs cardamom
- 2 pcs cloves
- 1 pc cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 200 g hot milk
- 6 g salt
- 8 g sugar
- 5 g ghee
Method
- Peel the potol entirely. Even though our other potol recipes call for removing peels in alternating strips, for this recipe, we want the potol fully peeled so that it soaks up the curry and becomes juicy. Once peeled, make shallow slits on both ends to allow juices to enter the potol.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Fry the potol on medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or until the potol turn golden. Remove from the oil and set aside.
- Temper the same oil with cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Add cumin powder and turmeric, and fry these spices for about 15 seconds. Take care not to burn them.
- Add the peeled potol back to the pan and fry them with the spices on medium heat for about 4 minutes.
- Add hot milk to the pan, followed by salt and sugar. Bubble everything on medium heat for 6 minutes until the potol are tender.
- When the potol have become soft and juicy, and the milk has reduced to a creamy sauce, add ghee. Turn off the heat and rest for 2 minutes before serving.
