Aloo Potala Rasa
potato and pointed gourd in a thin, cumin-scented tomato gravy, made without onion or garlic
Allergens in Aloo Potala Rasa: mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 400g (about 10), lightly scraped and halved lengthwise Pointed Gourdpotala, or parwal
- 3 medium, quartered Potato
- 2, pureed Tomato
- 1 tbsp, grated Ginger
- 3, slit Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 3/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil
- to taste Salt
- 600ml Water
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Scrape the pointed gourd lightly with a knife rather than peeling it. The skin holds the flavour and stops the pieces going mushy.
- Puree the tomatoes and grate the ginger before you start. With no onion or garlic in this dish, the tomato has to be fried properly and that needs your full attention.
- Cut the potato into quarters, not smaller; they should stay in recognisable pieces in the thin gravy.
Method
- Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes, then lower the flame for 30 seconds.
- Fry the halved pointed gourd on medium for 5 minutes, turning, until blistered and lightly browned. Lift out and set aside.Frying them separately keeps them firm; boiled straight into the gravy they go limp.
- In the same oil add the bay leaf and cumin seeds and let them sizzle 15 seconds.
- Add the grated ginger and slit green chillies and fry 1 minute.
- Add the potato quarters and fry 4 minutes until the edges are golden.
- Pour in the tomato puree with the turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry 6-8 minutes until the oil beads at the edges.Do not shortcut this. Underfried tomato leaves the gravy tasting sour and raw.
- Add the water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 12 minutes until the potato is tender.
- Return the fried pointed gourd and simmer uncovered 5 minutes. The gravy should stay thin. This is a rasa, not a thick curry.
- Stir in the garam masala, scatter the coriander leaves and rest 5 minutes off the heat before serving with rice.
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat on the stovetop with 3 tbsp water; the pointed gourd softens further overnight but the flavour deepens.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Aloo Potala Rasa (431 g) is about 237 calories, or 55 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 5 g a serving, 8% of the calories
| Per serving431 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 237 kcal | 55 kcal |
| Protein | 4.7 g | 1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 31.5 g | 7 g |
| of which sugars | 3.1 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 5.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 11.6 g | 3 g |
| of which saturated | 1.4 g | 0 g |
| of which unsaturated | 9.2 g | 2 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for garam masala, pointed gourd. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Odia recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.