On hot summer days while growing up, the dishes I loved best for lunch or dinner were the ones with the perfect blend of mustard seeds and poppy seeds. As a Bengali kid, these dishes were unique cultural identifiers, and mostly vegetarian and vegan dishes that we relished just as much as our fish curries. While my Punjabi or Gujarati neighbours had lassis and chaas to cool down after a heavy meal, our traditional Bengali meals themselves consisted of dishes that could keep the digestive system cool.
And isn't that just what you need for the perfect summer dish? If it indeed is, then this simple Shorshe Potol recipe is all you want. Shorshe refers to mustard seeds in Bengali, while Potol refers to pointed gourd or Parwal. This veggie is now available all-year through, but it’s usually in season at its best during summer and fall months. During those months then, obviously, Bengalis love to eat Potol in as many forms as possible—Bhaja or simply fried, in curry form with potatoes, with stuffed prawns, as an addition to fish curries, etc.
Among these, Shorshe Potol is one of my favourites because even though it is prepared with mustard seeds, which run the risk of being too strong and pungent, the dish is actually very light. This is partially due to the addition of poppy seeds, which also give it a rich taste and flavour. But it’s also because of the addition of curd, which renders the pungence of mustard into a mild flavour. The ultimate dish of Shorshe Potol is mildly spiced, very light and lip-smackingly delicious when paired with rice.
On occasion, my mother would add potatoes to the dish to make it even more filling. However, this is optional because the dish is at its best when it remains a simple marriage between pointed gourd, mustard, poppy and curd. It’s also important to note here that even within Bengal, there are cultural differences between those from each district. While my family prefers Shorshe Potol to be a mildly spiced dish, many also add red chilli powder, onions and garlic to the dish to make it richer. In my opinion, these tend to make Shorshe Potol too hot for summers. Plus, the dish tastes amazing when made simply. However, if you do like spicy food, then you can add red chilli powder and other spices to the dish. Here’s the simplest version of the recipe.
Ingredients:
250 g pointed gourd, scraped and halved
3 tsp mustard seeds, soaked
1.5 tsp poppy seeds, soaked
½ tsp ginger, grated
4 tsp curd
½ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
4 green chillies, slit
½ tsp sugar
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp oil
Method:
1. Place the mustard seeds, poppy seeds and ginger in a blender.
2. Add a splash or two of water and grind these to a fine paste.
3. Heat the oil in a wok, then add nigella seeds and let them splutter.
4. Once they stop spluttering, add the pointed gourd and saute.
5. Add turmeric powder, salt and green chillies and mix well.
6. Once the pointed gourds are half cooked, add the mustard seed paste.
7. Saute the mix to cook the pointed gourd and mustard paste until both are cooked.
8. Now, add the curd and cook until done.
9. Adjust the salt, add the sugar and mix again.
10. Serve the Shorshe Potol hot with rice.