My parwal nu shaak is made Gujarati style with basic spices, lemon juice and coconut. It's ready in less than 15 minutes and can be served as part of an everyday Gujarati thali.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published June 2016. I’ve added new images and made improvements to the recipe.
I go through phases where all I want for dinner is a homely Gujarati shaak, a piping bowl of Gujarati toor daal and Gujarati phulka rotli.
I'll admit when I was little, I struggled to eat green shaak. But once I started cooking alongside my Mum, I got a better feel of the vegetables and cautiously started enjoying them!
The addition of coconut, sugar and lemon juice transforms the pointed gourd into a delicious sabji.
The Recipe Details
One thing I would definitely recommend is making this curry with freshly bought parwal. Indian grocery stores are quite for us and we often bulk buy a few fresh vegetables. The quality and freshness reduces pretty quickly and I've noticed this does affect the overall taste of the shaak.
If the parwal is nice and fresh, I like to keep the seeds. If it's starting to get old or yellow I remove the seeds.
This recipe is named "sambharia" for two reasons. One, the pointed gourd is simply stir fried to retain the flavour. Secondly, sambharia dishes will typically include coconut and coriander.
The flavour comes from the tangy and sweet masala which is similar to a Gujarati bharwan masala.
As with many Gujarati stir fries, the parwal shaak is finished with sugar and lemon juice. The sugar isn't really there to sweeten but complements the tanginess from the lemon.
Adding coconut and coriander leaves adds an extra layer of flavour and texture. We use desiccated coconut for ease but you could definitely use grated fresh coconut.
You'll find many variations that add other vegetables like potatoes which can help bulk up the dish. I prefer to avoid adding them, and instead, prepare a separate bateta nu shaak.
It's delicious with an authentic Gujarati kadhi on the side.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Parwal Nu Shaak
Ingredients
- 500 gram parwal
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 tablespoon ginger chilli and ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin and coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut or desiccated
- 2-3 teaspoon coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash the parwal and pat dry.
- Cut the parwal lengthwise into desired thickness.
- Heat oil in a kadai, and add cumin seeds.
- Once they crackle, add hing.
- After few seconds add cut parwal and mix well.
- Now add salt and all the masala, and mix.
- Cover the kadai with lid and lower the heat.
- Let the parwal cook in their own steam and stir couple of times to prevent the shaak burning.
- Cook until soft and tender.
- Add sugar, coconut and lemon juice and cook a couple of minutes more.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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