Parwal ki Sabji or aloo parval sabzi is a simple north indian vegetarian dish made with parwal (pointed ridge gourd), potatoes and few spices. This parval sabji makes for a delicous meal with indian flatbreads like roti or paratha or you can also serve it with dal-chawal. Ready in 20-25 mintues. Vegan friendly!
Parwal is a peak summer vegetable in India, however I found some amazing parwal at our indian grocery store over the weekend and I made this delicous sabji.
I am sharing one of the easiest punjabi style recipe of making parwal at home. The combination of the tender parwal and potatoes with flavors of the spices is truly delectable whenever you are craving simple and soothing home style food.
All summer long, this sabji was prepared on a regular basis in my grandmother's home. It is minimally spiced, no onion- no garlic recipe.
You just need cumin seeds, few powdered spices for tempering in mustard oil. Mustard oil gives an authentic punjabi taste to the sabji. However, you could use avocado oil or any kind of cooking oil your prefer to use at home.
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What Is Parwal
Parwal, also known a parval or potol in different regions of india, is an elongated, green colored, tropical gourd popular during summer season in India. It has a fleshy inside with small seeds at the core, while the outside has pale and dark green stripes (see image 1). The ends of the gourd are pointed, that is why it is also known as pointed ridge gourd.
Parwal is not the same as kundru/tindora(ivy gourd). Both these vegetables look quite similar, however the taste is different.
Parwal is known for its crunchy texture and it beautifully absorbs the flavors of the spices it is cooked with. It is used for making curries, stir-fries, stuffed preparations, and even pickles and mithai (sweets).
How To Choose & Store Parwal
When choosing parwal, make sure to touch and feel the gourd. When you press slightly, it should feel firm but not hard, that means it is overripe and will have tough seeds. Also make sure to check the skin- it should not be yellow or bruised. Choose smaller parwal - they are not over ripe.
I used to notice that my grandmother always stored parwal soaked in water. Storing it submerged in water slows the ethylene production which stops the ripening. Trust me, this vegetable ripes very quickly, so I suggest that you cook it within 1-2 days of purchasing.
How To Cut Parwal
- Thoroughly wash the parwal. Using a sharp knife, cut off and discard the pointed ends. (image2)
- Now decide whether you want to peel off the skin or not. If the parwal are fresh and bright dark green, I don't peel off the skins. If I see that the skins are pale green or yellow and bruised, using a peeler, peel off the skin. Or you can scrape using a sharp knife.
- Lengthwise, cut the parwal in half (image 3). Again it is up to you if you want to scoop out the seeds. I decide it based on how tough or ripe the seeds are. To check, if you can cut the seeds easily using a knife, they are soft. If the seeds feel hard, scoop them out.
- Slice each half vertically into thin strips. (image 4)
How To Make Parwal Sabji
- Cut parwal using instructions in the previous section.
- Peel, halve and cut potato in a similar fashion. Make sure to keep the size of parwal and potato similar. Keep potatoes soaked in water until ready to use.
- In a cooking pan, heat up the mustard oil until slightly smoky on medium heat. (image5)
- Reduce the heat to low. Wait for a minute and temper the hot oil with cumin seeds. Let crackle. Also add the hing. (image 6 & 7)
- Next, on low heat (or take off the pan off stove if needed), add red chilli powder, turmeric and corinader powder. Fry the powdered spices in oil for 20-30 seconds taking care not to burn. If needed add a splash of water. (image8)
- Now, introduce the potatoes. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt. We will first cook the poatoes for 3-4 minutes to give them a head start since they take slightly longer than parwal to cook. (image 9)
- Fry the poatoes with spices stirring them often. (image10)
- Ater 3-4 minutes, add the sliced parwal. Sprinkle black pepper powder and salt. Stir to coat the parwal in spices. Fry without covering for 2 minutes or so. You will see that the color of parwal is getting deep green. (image 11 & 12)
- Add a splash of water (image 13) and then cover the pan(image 14). Let the sabji for 8-12 minutes or until both parwal and aloo are tender (image 15). I don't prefer mushy or overly soft vegetables so please adjust the coking times as needed.
- Finish the sabji with garam masala and amchur powder (image 16). Bump up th eheat and bhuno (fry) for 2 minutes on high heat.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve!
Few Tips
- You can skip potatoes if you wish.
- If you do not have amchur, use some lemon juice instead.
- Adjust the spice levels according to your personal preference.
- This sabji starts changing taste and texture after 2-3 days. You can store it refrigetaed and finish the leftovers in that time frame.
More Delicious Sabji Recipes
Parwal Sabji (Parwal Aloo)
Ingredients
- 350 g parwal /parval pointed ridge gourd
- 1 large potato (~200g)
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepepr powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) adjust to taste , or us elemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the parwal. Using a sharp knife, cut off and discard the pointed ends. If the parwal are fresh and bright dark green, I don't peel off the skins. If I see that the skins are pale green or yellow and bruised, using a peeler, peel off the skin.
- Lengthwise, cut the parwal in half. If you can cut the seeds easily using a knife, they are soft. If the seeds feel hard, scoop them out. Slice each half vertically into thin strips.
- Peel, halve and cut potato in a similar fashion. Make sure to keep the size of parwal and potato similar. Keep potatoes soaked in water until ready to use.
- In a cooking pan, heat up the mustard oil until slightly smoky on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Wait for a minute or so and temper the hot oil with cumin seeds. Let crackle. Also add the hing.
- Next, on low heat (or take off the pan off stove if needed), add red chilli powder, turmeric and corinader powder. Fry the powdered spices in oil for 20-30 seconds taking care not to burn. If needed add a splash of water.
- Now, introduce the potatoes. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt. We will first cook the poatoes for 3-4 minutes to give them a head start since they take slightly longer than parwal to cook. Fry the poatoes with spices stirring them often.
- Ater 3-4 minutes, add the sliced parwal. Sprinkle black pepper powder and salt. Stir to coat the parwal in spices. Fry without covering for 2 minutes or so. You will see that the color of parwal is getting deep green. Add a splash of water (2-4 tablespoon) and then cover the pan. Tip - Keep in mind that parwal wont release a lot of water, so check 1-2 times in between to make sure that parwal are not sticking.
- Let the sabji for 8-12 minutes or until both parwal and aloo are tender. I don't prefer mushy or overly soft vegetables so please adjust the coking times as needed.
- Finish the sabji with garam masala and amchur powder. Bump up the heat and bhuno (fry) for 2 minutes on high heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve!
Notes
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- You can skip potatoes if you wish.
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- If you do not have amchur, use some lemon juice instead.
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- Adjust the spice levels according to your personal preference.
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- This sabji starts changing taste and texture after 2-3 days. You can store it refrigetaed and finish the leftovers in that time frame.
- You can use the same recipe to make kundru (ivy gourd).
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