CHAL POTOL - BONG CUISINE

Chal potol is a delicious Bengali traditional vegetarian dish where Potol (Pointed gourd or parwal) is cooked in aromatic gobindobhog chal and garnished with raisins and cashews. It is basically the vegetarian version of Muri Ghonto. This is a perfect dish for Pujo or any special occassion in Bengali homes, where your entire meal is supposed to be pure veg, a simple NO to onion and garlic. I remember my Pishimoni (Paternal aunty) used to modify this Niramish Muri ghonto with fulkopi (cauliflower) and aloo, and everything cooked be her turned out to be very delicious. My mom used to cook very yummy "Chal Potol". I tried this after a long time today, remembering both of theme, knowing that none of them are here to taste it and pat on my back saying "Bah, darun hoyeche toh", but cooking this recipe made me realise again how lucky we are to have such great talent in our family. This dish is totally dedicated to my Maa & Pishimoni.

Ingredients :

1. Potol / Pointed gourd - 500 gram
2. Potatoes - 2-3 
3. Tomato - 1 big 
4. Gobindobhog rice - 1/2 cup
5. Cashew nuts - 1 tsp
6. Raisins - 1 tsp
7. Vegetable oil - 1 tsp
8. Mustard oil - 2 tsp
9. Dry red chilli - 2
10. Bay leaves - 2
11. Cardamom - 2
12. Cloves - 2
13. Cinnamon - 1 inch
14. Cumin seedds - 1/2 tsp
15. Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
16. Ghee - 1 tbsp
17. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
18. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
19. Turmeric - 1/2 ts
20. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or as per taste
21. Salt to taste
22. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
23. Green chillies - 2 piece
24. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Process :

1. To start with, rinse the rice and spread it over a colander to air dry completely. Wash and peel potol in alternating strips, and have halve each one vertically. Cut the potatoes in cubes and tomatoes and dice, clit the chillies and set aside the ready ingredients.

2. In a bowl, add ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and mix them well adding 2 tsp water and keep aside.

3. In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp vegetable oil, add cashew and raisins and fry them gently on low flame, and then add dried rice to this pan and continue frying until the rice is translucent. Remove from the oil once done, and keep aside for later use.

4. In the same pan, add mustard oil and heat it until it starts to smoke gently and turns pale yellow, now add the potol pieces adding a pinch of salt and fry them on medium flame for 4-5 minutes until well browned. Remove from oil and set aside once done.

5. Now, add little more mustard oil in the same pan, add dry red chilli, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cloves and saute for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and fry until potatoes starts changing colors. Now add the spice slurry we kept aside before. Add salt and saute for 2 minutes. Cover and let it cook until the oil separates from the spices. Add little water whenever the pan dries out and continue cooking. 

6. Add sugar, green slit chillies and tomatoes and stir well. Once the tomatoes have softened, add the fried cashews, raising and rice. Mix everything nicely, cover and let it cook until the rice is about 90% done. Then add the fried potols and continue cooking until both potol are rice are done, here you need to take extra care that they dont turn mushy. Add only little water at a time, just enough to cook the potol and rice well.

7. Once done, add garam masala powder and spoonful of ghee. Turn off the flame and cover for 2 more minutes. 

Serve hot with steamed rice. I have made Ghee-bhat with some veggies to serve with this Chal Potol.

DHOKA'R DALNA

This is a typical Bengali Niramish (Pure Veg without onion and garlic) recipe. Dhoka'r Dalna is a part of famous Bengali cuisine. A delicious Bengali treat you can say. Dhoka is fried dal cakes, some uses chholar dal, some uses masoor dal to make this cake / dhoka. The word "Dhoka" means "Betrayal", so this dish is common on days when families eat a vegetarian fare, and trick themselves  into believing the masoor / chholar dal cake, made flavourful with spices, coconut, peanuts etc, is actually meat. Sounds funny though, but this is an absolutely delicious dish. This is cooked for guests or on special occasions. A thick gravy of cumin seeds, hing, bay leaf along with ginger, chilli paste and some potatoes. This is best served with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal - 1 cup

2. Bay leaf - 2

3. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

4. Sugar - 1/2 tsp

5. Ginger powder or paste - 2 tsp

6. Salt - 1/2 tsp

7. Ghee - 2 tsp

8. Potato - 1 (cut into cubes)

9. Hing (asafoetida) - 1 tsp

10. Cumin powder - 2 tsp

11. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

12. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

13. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

14. Mustard oil - 4-5 tsp

15. Grated coconut - 2 tsp

16. Peanuts - 1 tsp (Roasted  and chopped)

Process:

1. Soak chholar dal in water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Strain and grind the dal with salt sugar green chillies and little water.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add grated coconut and fry it for few seconds on low flame and add ginger paste, cumin powder, turmeric powder and hing. Give a good stir and fry until the raw smell of the spices goes away. Add ground chholar dal and chopped peanuts. Continue cooking the dal. Keep on scraping the bottom of the pan continuously to prevent sticking. Once the mixture changes color and gathers in dough-like ball, transfer it to a flat greased surface.

3. Spread them in the surface and while the dal is still hot, cut into large diamond shaped pieces (these pieces are known as Dhokas). In a frying pan add little oil and on medium heat fry these dhokas until evenly brown. Remove from heat once done, and keep aside.

4. In the same pan, once the dhokas are done, add potato cubes and fry them using little salt and turmeric powder till golden brown. Keep aside till we prepare the gravy.

5. In a deep frying pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds, hing, bay leaf and saute for 2 minutes. Now add salt, sugar, ginger and chilli paste and half cup of water. Saute them till oil separates from spices. Now add the fried potatos and 2 cups of water. When the potatoes are almost boiled, add the dhokas and cook it for 5 minutes in medium flame.

6. Add ghee, garam masala powder and cook for 2 more minutes. Dhoka'r dalna is ready to serve. Serve with steamed rice.