Stuffed pointed gourd in coconut milk gravy

 

 

 

 

The first time ever I went correct with this dish with my own inputs ..I tried cooking this dish many a times as my mother & sister both makes it quite often and shares their recipes while we talk over the phone. I tried & failed !!

 

This time on last sunday somehow I made up my mind and I did it. And it turned out as it should be. Variations I did with this dish were I added some nutritional value to this dish by stuffing the pointed gourds with soya chunks and the gravy I made was with coconut milk. Coconut milk anyways makes a dish super delicious with its unique flavour which I like very much. Do try it in your kitchen and share your feedback too.

 

Ingredients:

For the stuffing

Pointed gourd: 5 (I used 5 numbers of potol. You can change as per your servings)

Onion: 1 medium sized grated

Garlic & ginger : 1 tbsp. grated

Soya chunks: 3-4 tbsp. (washed & cooked)

Salt to taste

Garam Masala: 1tsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: A pinch

Oil: 2 tsp for making the stuffing

Oil deep frying the gourds (you can bake the stuffed gourds/potol if you want to keep it healthier)

 

 

For the gravy:

Black Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: 5-6

Dry red chilli: 1-2

Onion: 1 medium sized grated

Ginger & garlic: 1 tbsp. grated

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Coconut milk: 1 cup

Oil : 1 tbsp

 

Method:

 

Wash the pointed gourds and scrap its outer skin lightly. Cut off the tips from both ends.  Scoop out the seeds from the broader end of the potol without breaking/damaging the other end - I used a knife to do this. You can use a spoon as well. Keep the seeds to use in the stuffing if you want. Else you can discard. I used it along with the soya chunks. Now keep them aside.

 

 

 

For the stuffing

In a pan heat the oil, add the onion and saute till translucent. Add  the ginger garlic and rest of the ingredients except the soya chunks & the scooped out seeds from the gourds. Saute the masalas for a minute or two and add the soya chunks and the seeds and mix them so that everything combines well. This will take about 3-4 minutes to get cooked. Put the flame off and keep it aside to cool.

 

Once cooled, stuff these in the gourds/potol and deep fry them and keep in a tissue paper.

 

For the Gravy:

Heat the oil in a pan/wok/kadhai. Add the mustard seeds, dry chillies, curry leaves and let them splutter. Add the onion and saute till translucent. Now add the ginger garlic and saute. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and fry for a couple of minutes till they leave oil. Now add the coconut milk and stir well. Add salt, mix & Simmer for about 2-3 minutes covering with a lid checking in between. As the gravy thickens, add the fried potols/gourd and combine everything well. At this point if you think the gravy has thickened more, you can always add water. Add the garam masala powder, mix well and keep it in medium flame for about one or two minutes.

 

Now in a plate , arrange the potols/gourds and pour the gravy on them. Serve hot with rice .

 

 

 

You can give variation to the stuffing with chicken keema, prawn keema, cottage cheese, mashed potato as well.