Potoler dalna

Dassana Amit’s selected potoler dalna is her Bengali aloo potol version, combining pointed gourd and potato in a tomato-and-spice gravy. The vegetables are fried before they return to the same curry.

Green cardamom seeds, cinnamon and cloves are ground into the recipe’s Bengali masala. The pointed gourds are rinsed, peeled and cut, with mature seeds and pith removed when needed; the potatoes are separately rinsed, peeled and cubed.

The selected optional salt and turmeric coat each vegetable separately. Pointed gourd fries lightly golden in mustard oil, is removed, and the potato cubes then fry golden-spotted in the same oil.

Indian bay leaf and cumin seeds temper that retained oil before chopped tomatoes, slit green chilli and the selected minced ginger cook until the tomatoes soften. Ground coriander, cumin, Kashmiri chilli and turmeric follow, then water and the same fried vegetables.

Sugar and gravy salt season the curry, which simmers covered until thickened and the vegetables are cooked. The freshly ground masala and optional ghee finish it; the author offers it hot or warm, with coriander garnish and steamed rice among the serving choices.