Food for Life !: My mum’s Signature Dish-Doi Potal(Pointed gourd in Yogurt curry)

‘Cook Like Mom’ & an International Giveaway

My mum was a wonderful cook and I believe we all adore our mothers’ for their simple and easy cooking. Have you ever wondered why mom’s cooking is universally acclaimed? The answer lies in the fact that it is cooked with love and passion.

I believe every kitchen in India has its own cook book, and it has a unique way of preparing their signature authentic dishes. Even in my case, you might find small to big differences in your known method of cooking and the ones posted here. I call them truly “Ma’s Style”.

It is mainly because of two reasons: Firstly it is cooked with love for my friends and family. Secondly I believe in simple easy cooking by using the basic ingredients available in your kitchen. My mum used to say, it is very easy to make good food by using exotic and interesting ingredients but it is an art to please someone with a simple meal cooked with pure love and simple ingredients.

As a teenager, I found a broader purview on the importance of loving your existence and to live happily and feeding yourself beautifully was another important part of it.Nothing pleased my mum more than cooking for good friends and family. I also cook for the same reason I try out new places/eating joints -- to experience the thrill of discovering something new.

My mom was a working woman but on weekends my home turned into a little Indian Colony.

She was not known for churning out exotic food but she just made simple basic food very exotic. I guess because she poured all her love while cooking.

Cooking authentic homemade Assamese food was her way of keeping herself close to the roots; and is the most important way to remain healthy. Assamese people are fond of rice and their fish and they can’t think of any meal which is devoid of any non-vegetarian element.

I was an unusual vegetarian element born into the family of hardcore non vegetarians but thankfully my mum made some really tasty vegetarian dishes which were out of the world. They were just too simple to the core.

Doi potol( Pointed Gourd in Yogurt Curry) is one of my mother’s specialty or rather call it a signature dish… Till date, I haven’t been able to match up to her recipe. She can make it better any day. This a very simple and delicious vegetarian option for summer meals. This recipe is equally famous in Bengali households.

In the summer months, curd or doi plays a vital role in the lives of Assamese households. It is also served as a palatable antacid. My mum always liked to set natural yoghurt/curd/doi at home and we liked to consume it by the end of a meal for its cooling effect. It is also used as an ingredient in cooking to prepare numerous main course dishes. Curd is used in vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes like “doi Maach” ,doi potol or doi begun to name a few.

This dish is so beautiful and easy to make that I would recommend this for every household. Even the non-vegetarians would love to try this without a hitch. I would straight away discuss the recipe or else I would get lost in the intricacies of explaining the beauty of the dish.

I like to eat it with plain steamed rice but it equally goes well with roti/ chapattis.

Serves: 2-3

Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Pointed Gourd (Potol): 250 Gms

Yogurt: ¾ cups whisked

Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp

Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp

Ginger Paste: 1 ½ tsp

Sauf Powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: ½ tsp

Bay Leave: 1

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Cumin Leaves: 1 tsp

Slit Green Chillies: 2

Chopped Coriander Leaves: 3 Tbsp

Salt and sugar to taste

Pinch of asafoetida

1 ½ tsp mustard Oil.

Cinnamon: 1-2

Cardamoms: 2-3

Method:

1. Cut both the ends of pointed gourd and scrap the skin gently to ensure it doesn’t peel off the skin. Make slits on it with Knife and apply salt and turmeric and marinate it for 5-6 minutes.

2. Fry them well on both the sides till they turn slightly golden on both the sides. Keep it aside for adding it to the gravy at a later stage.

3. Mix all the dry spice powder including the ginger paste in a bowl. Add water to it to make a Spice paste. Don’t make it a runny paste.

4. Whisk the yogurt with little salt, turmeric and water and keep aside. Beat it well to remove lumps.

5. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leave and cardamom. Allow it to crackle.

6. Now temper the oil with asafetida and ½ tsp of sugar. Adding sugar enhances the color of the gravy.

7. Lower the flame and add the spice paste to the wok and stir it continuously. Cook it till the oil separates and you get rid of the raw aroma of the spices.

8. Add fried pointed gourd and now and cook for 4 minutes in low heat with a cover.

9. Finally it’s time to add the whisked yogurt to the pan over low flame. Remember it to keep stirring it continuously. Cook it covered over low flame for 6-7 minutes. Remove the lid and throw in the slit green chillies and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

10. Serve it hot with plain white rice.