Potol Posto | Potol Posto recipe | Bengali Niramish and Amish Potol Posto recipe

Bengali Potol Posto recipe step by step– Potol Posto is a Bengali pointed gourd preparation with poppy seeds and a few simple spices. Fried Potol (pointed gourd/ parwal) is cooked in a paste of posto (poppy seeds), little shorshe (mustard seeds), and green chilies with sweet & salt until the curry gets dry. Served this dish with steamed rice. 

Potol whose English name is Pointed gourd and Hindi name is parwal. Posto is Poppy seeds in English, and called Khus khus in Hindi. This is an Old Bengali dish very much popular among Bengalis who loved potol in sabji and posto in spices. Potol posto is a summertime bengali delicacy as potol is itself a vegetable of summer and posto & potol both keep the stomach cool the main requirement for summer.

Niramish Potol posto or Potol Posto without onion garlic

Potol posto is a very popular niramish or vegetarian Bengali dish (cooked without onion and garlic). As onion garlic is strictly prohibited in Bengalis vegetarian dishes. However Today I will make two types of potol posto recipes. One is niramish potol posto recipe made without onion and garlic for vegetarians. And the other one is Bengali amish potol posto recipe (prepared with onion and garlic) for vegan to Bengali non-vegetarians.

How to make Potol posto recipes?

To make niramish Potol posto, the pointed gourds are first peeled, making a few slits. In the meantime, soak poppy seeds and mustard seeds in water. Later ground with green chilli and tomato until make a fine paste. Fry the potol, then roast the posto paste in oil mixed with spices such as turmeric, salt, sugar & red chili powder. Then cooked with the fried potol until it is soft and tender.

To make amish potol posto (potol posto with onion and garlic), first peel the potol, and cut into lengthwise. Make a fine paste of water-soaked poppy seeds and mustard seeds with garlic cloves, green chillies and tomato. Fry the potol, then fry the onion, roast the posto paste with turmeric, salt, sugar & red chili powder, and cooked with the fried potol until the potol is soft and tender.

Tips about Potol Posto recipes

For making a finger-licking potol posto, fry the potol until golden from all sides to avoid the raw smell of potol. Secondly, roast the posto paste until the raw smell of posto goes off. If the raw smell of potol or posto anyone exists in the preparation will spoil the taste of this curry. Must use a little shorshe while making the posto paste. Shorshe will enhance the taste of this dish if mixed with posto, alone posto can not make the perfect taste of potol posto. A touch-up of a little kalojeere in tempering will add extra flavour to this dish. 

Like other typically Bengali dishes, this recipe is also prepared with mustard oil, which adds a distinctive flavour and aroma to the dish. The use of green chilies adds a subtle heat. While the poppy seed paste gives the dish its creamy and nutty flavor. The combination of these ingredients creates a comforting and satisfying dish that is perfect for a weekend lunch or a special occasion.

Recipe courtesy

This Niramish Potol Posto is my Mom’s (Sulekha Paul) recipe. And this Potol Posto (with onion and garlic) recipe belongs to Sulekha Aunty (Our family friend Rama’s Mother). So special thanks to my Mom and Aunty for sharing such simple yet scrumptious potol recipes.

Try any of these potol posto recipes and let me know your feedback about this Bengali dish in the comment section below.

Check two more potol recipes-

Potoler Dolma(Dorma) recipe

Potoler Dalna recipe

Potol posto | Potol posto recipe | Bengali niramish and amish potol posto recipe

Recipe by Moumita PaulCourse: LunchCuisine: Bengali, IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Potol Posto is a Bengali style pointed gourd recipe cooked with poppy seeds paste (posto) and a few simple spices. This pointed gourd curry serves with steamed rice, pulao, or roti.

Ingredients

• For Making Niramish Potol Posto

• 250 g pointed gourds (potol / parwal)

• 1+1/2 tsp poppy seeds (posto)

• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds

• 2-3 green chilies

• 1 tomato, medium

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)

• 1 tsp sugar

• Salt to taste

• 6-7 tbsp mustard oil

• For Making Amish Potol Posto (with onion & garlic)

• 350 g pointed gourds (potol)

• 2 tsp Poppy seeds

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tomato, medium

• 1 Big onion (finely chopped)

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)

• 1+1/4 tsp Sugar

• Salt to taste

• 5 tbsp Mustard Oil

Directions

• How to make niramish potol posto recipe
• Wash and peel the potol or pointed gourds and make a few slits from both ends.
• Soak the poppy seeds and mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes and then grind them to a fine paste with tomato, green chillies, and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the potol for 5-7 minutes until golden from all sides. Remove them from the pan.
• Add 1/4 tsp kalojeere (kalonji or nigella seeds) in oil. Fry for a few seconds.
• Then add the poppy seed paste and mix well. 
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using), sugar, and salt. Mix well.
• Cook spices for 2-3 minutes or until the spices release oil from the sides (indicates spices are perfectly roasted and have no raw smell). 
• Add a little water over the spices to prevent the spices from burning. Mix well. 
• Once the gravy creates bubble add the fried potol to the pan, mix them well with the spices, and cook until the gravy gets dry. 
• Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water, mix well, and let the gravy boil.
• Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat until the gourds are soft.
• Lastly, cook for another 2-3 minutes on high heat until the gravy thickens and the gourds are coated well with the poppy seed paste.
• Serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy your delicious niramish Potol Posto!
• How to make Amish Potol posto (potol posto with onion and garlic)
• Wash and peel the potol or pointed gourds and cut it lengthwise into four strips (as shown above in an image).
• Soak the poppy seeds and mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes and then grind them to a fine paste with garlic, tomato, green chillies, and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the potol for 5-7 minutes until golden from all sides. Remove them from the pan.
• Temper the oil with 1/4 tsp kalojeere (kalonji or nigella seeds) in oil. Fry for a few seconds.
• Fry the onion (finely chopped) until succulent and golden, then pour the poppy seeds paste and mix both well.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using), sugar, and salt. Mix them well.
• Cook spices for 2-3 minutes or until the spices release oil from the sides (indicates spices are perfectly roasted and have no raw smell).
• Add a little water over the spices to prevent the spices from burning. Mix well.
• Once the gravy creates bubble add the fried potol to the pan, mix them well with the spices, cook until the gravy gets dry.
• Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat until the gourds are soft.
• Lastly, cook for another 2-3 minutes on high heat until the gravy thickens and the gourds are coated well with the poppy seed paste.
• Serve it hot with steamed rice. Enjoy your delicious Amish Potol Posto (potol posto with onion and garlc)!

Notes

• Must slit the potol if not cut into pieces otherwise spices will not reach inside the potol and get a bland taste.