Today I will tell you about the Vegetables which saved me (1 and 2 most), during the lockdown.

From the time I could cook, I was not a passionate cook. I thought I had more fun things to do. But I enjoyed the good food. My sister and my mom ensured I learned the correct way into and out of a kitchen. But that was not something I thanked them for then. But now I do. Daily when I make my roti, cook that dal or simple lauki ka sabzi. Every lesson is a blessing.

Growing up, I also developed a discerning tongue. This usually means you have good people cooking good food. It also meant I liked my food just right. I liked good food which was not oily but cooked to perfection. The spices subtle and not overpowering, plus we should eat local.as much as possible. Salt and sugar balance a must. Overall a tight rope walk when you end up cooking yourself.

All this was great when mom was managing the kitchen. But what happens when you shift to a new location with a baby in tow and a new job?

You look for a cook.I did exactly that.

 Well I was lucky I had a nice helpful friendly cook,who followed instructions except about the oil content and adding extra water.

But as 2020 March arrived, kitchen duty was swapped between the perfectionist hubby and daydreamer me. Covid 19 turned things topsy turvy.

By God’s blessing we are doing well and everything coming out of the kitchen tastes just right and finishes in no time. Zero food waste. This is empowering. 

Now coming to the important topic, the vegetables which helped. 

#1 Lauki or Lau or bottle Gourd

#2 Pointed Gourd 

3 Pumpkin

4 Tomatoes

5 Bitter gourd

6 Pumpkin greens

7 Potatoes

8 Carrots 

9 Cucumbers 

10 Onions 

The main reason I started sharing more stories from my kitchen was to let you know you are not alone struggling in the kitchen.

You have us as a company. Sharing stories is the best way to eat better as a community. Now I have already talked about Bottle Gourd, you can read about it here. Today I will tell you about the pointed gourd.Potol/parwal,parval is the hero of my story today.

It’s cute spindle shaped,rather svelte to look af.Green in colour with stripes.It tastes lovely fried by itself or as an accompaniment with dal chawal(rice and dal).

It’s part of typically mixed veggies, great stuffed or cooked with potatoes and posto . You can also have stuffed potol both veg(with raisins and nuts) or nonveg( fish roe or keema). The stuffed variety is called potoler dolman. It can also be cooked as a sweet dish, when stuffed with khoya, cashews, raisins and dunked the sweet syrup.

But today’s recipe is a tad different. It’s an everyday recipe for the busy mommy.

What will you need for Potol cooked Easy?

You will need cubed potatoes.

Peeled,cubed pointed gourd.

Ginger paste or ginger powder

Tomatoes green chillies.

Bay leaf ,

Cumin powder (my favorite)

,Turmeric powder (this is the one I use most)

and Salt( I only use low sodium Tata salt)

Simple  Steps:

Boil potatoes strain and keep aside.

Air fry the pointed Gourd 

Add Mustard oil in Kadai.

When the oil starts to smoke,add red chilli,cumin whole,bay leaf.

Let them sputter.

Add the boiled potatoes,add turmeric ,salt and cumin powder.

Mix it all together and let it cook for sometime.

Add the pointed Gourd. (It’s  air fried with a little turmeric,dash of salt.)

Add the cubed tomatoes and green chillies(according to taste).Add ginger paste .

Cook till the tomatoes are soft and it comes together.

Taste .

Sprinkle a little more salt if needed  according to taste.

Cover and cook for a minute.

Serve warm with phulka/roti/Indian flat bread.

It’s important to have four to five servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet.Having a dish like this gives you plenty of nutrients, with less headache.It has Vitamin A ,vitamin C and several trace elements.Best part is ,its grown locally,is a perennial crop and is easy to cook.

Before this summer, I hardly ever ate Pointed Gourd, as many times as I did this year. It’s easy to cook, tasty, and filling too. As a busy mom who is juggling more things than ever before, this veggie definitely gets a five on five from me.

This humble vegetable has a lot going on and is one of the easier veggies to cook. Have you eaten pointed Gourd? Let me know how you cook them in the comments below.

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