Parwal ki Subzi (Pointed gourd in onion tomato based gravy)

I Have always had lovely memories of parwal subzi. The crispy exterior with soft juicy interior and the occasional crunchy seeds, as you dig into this soupy-tangy gravy, is pure comfort food for me. Reminds me of winters, when you eat hot tangy gravy with hot-hot phulkas (Indian bread), smothered with ghee (clarified butter). On the side you have grated jaggery immersed in warm ghee. Salads, dal and raita would go un-noticed on such days.

Even now, I feel I am back into my childhood when everybody sits together at the dining table and  mom serves the exact same combo. And dad requests my sis (Renu) and me, to chatter lesser and focus on food. 

You need:

Parwal (pointed guard) – 250 grams (scrape the skin gently to remove stringy texture and cut lengthwise into halves, if they are bog cut lengthwise into 4 pieces, like wedges)

Potatoes – 1 large (boiled)

Onion – 1 large (chop as fine as you can)

Ginger – ½ inch (chop as fine as you can)

Garlic – 4-5 cloves (chop as fine as you can)

Tomato - 1 large (finely chopped)

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – 1tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Mustard oil – 2 Tbsp (use vegetable oil if not available)

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

Green cardamom – 1 pod

Cinnamon stick – ½ inch

Fresh coriander leaves/ Cilantro 

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the parwal till it becomes a little crispy. You know its done when the edges get crispy but the centre is still soft. Remove from pan and keep aside.
2. In the same oil, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Fry for a min on a low flame till you get the aroma.
3. Now add the ginger garlic and fry for another half a minute. 
4. Add the onion and salt and fry till very light brown in color. 
5. Now add the coriander powder, chili powder and turmeric powder. Give a stir and fry on low flame for 2-3 min.
6. Add tomatoes and cove for a min. Once they become a little soft, add garam masala. 
7. Cover and cook for 6-7 min, or till masala is cooked and all the raw taste is gone. 
8. Add roughly chopped potatoes(keep some pieces of potatoes big and some small). This is done to give a creamy texture to the gravy, and at the same time also bite into chunky pieces of  potatoes. Fry for 2-3 min. 
9. Add the parwal, a cup of water and salt as per liking. Cover and cook till you get the gravy of your choice of consistency.
10. Garnish with fresh cilantro.