Aloo Potol / Aloo Parwal

There are many exotic vegetables across the world, And India has a really wide range of exotic and unique vegetables at that which many people are unaware of. Each province/State in our country has its own unique cuisine.

The veggie called “parval” or ‘potol’ scientifically known as Trichosanthes dioica, is a veggie used in many Northern and Eastern cuisines of Indian cooking. One of the most popularly cooked version of parval (potol) is with potatoes called “Aloo potol” / Aloo parwal !

Aloo parwal curry is easy to make and healthy too! 

Parwal/Potol Vegetable

Ingredients:

-Potol/Parwal (trichosanthes dioica) -cut into halves

-Potatoes: diced it into pieces

-Tomatoes chopped: 4-5

-Ginger paste: 2 tsp
-Hing(asafoetida): 1 pinch
-Dhania powder(coriander powder): 1 tsp
-Haldi powder (turmeric): 1 tsp
-Mirchi powder (red chilli powder): 1 tsp
-Garam masala powder : 1 tsp
-Ghee(Indian clarified butter): 1 tsp
-Fresh coriander leaves 

-5 spices(panch phoron): cumin seeds, nigella/black caraway seeds,  fennel seeds, radhuni/wild celery seeds, mustard seeds

Procedure:-

• First shallow fry the potatoes and diced parval (separately) and kept it aside.
• Take 1 tsp of oil in the kadai (wok) and add 'panch phoron' ie a mix of 5 indian spices: (jeera,kalonji,saunf,radhuni &sarso)
• When the spices start spluttering, add the ginger paste.
• Then add the diced tomatoes and cook till the oil separates in the pan.
• Now add the spices: turmeric, coriander and chilli powder & cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Once you smell the aroma coming from the spices, that time add the fried parval and potatoes and salt and sugar according to your taste. 
• Add a cup of water and let the curry boil.
• Lastly when oil starts appearing at the top, add little ghee and 1 tsp of garam masala to it and mix it nicely.
• Sprinkle coriander leaves as a garnish and serve hot with steaming rice.

~ENJOY~

What is the spice Panch Phoron?

Here: Bengali Spice Mix (Wiki) 

Can I buy it online (as a readymade mixed packet) ?

Yes, they are available as ready packets

Buy them online here at: 

• Amazon In
• Amazon US

Chaal Potol( rice parwar)

                                  What is this dish about? ....Potol/parwal- Trichosanthes dioica

These are the main ingredients of this dish.you have to cut it into half and fry it properly and keep it aside.

        

                  

Other ingredients which are required .... Handful of gobindobhog rice or small grain rice, 2 onions, one big tomato, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.,haldi(turmeric) and Mirchi powder according to your taste , little cashew and raisin, & white oil and 1 tsp of ghee.

Procedure.....fry the rice and potol and keep it aside. Then in oil add 2 bay leafs and fry the onions brown add haldi powder , 1 tsp of chilly powder and 1 tsp each of dhania(corriender) and jeera (cumin)powder. Then add the tomato pieces and fry further. Then addsome sugar   and   Salt accordingly . When the paste is almost done add the fried rice and add 2 cups of boiled water. Cover the pan. When almost done add the fried parwal   and cook further till it gets little dried up. Lastly add all d grinded garammasala with 1 tsp of ghee. From top add fried cashew and raisins.

It should look like this... Enjoy this with rice , nun or roti😀