Narkel Kumri aka Narkol diye Chal Kumro Ghonto is a classic Bengali vegetarian recipe where Ash Gourd or Wax Gourd is cooked with lots of grated coconut, to be served as a side dish to rice for a Bengali vegetarian menu for lunch. Hence the name Narkel Kumri, where narkel means coconut and kumri means ash gourd.
Unlike other Bengali vegetarian dishes, it requires minimal spices (only bay leaf) and is slightly sweeter owing to the natural sweetness of coconut. This is a summer dish since chal kumro or ash gourd is widely available during the summer months and is widely known for its cooling properties. It is light and easy to digest, just perfect for a comforting meal for hot and sultry Indian summers
What is a Chal Kumro or Ash Gourd?
Unscientifically speaking, it is another vegetable from the category of gourds that is large, round, and can often weigh a few kilos. It has a light green to white-coloured exterior, often waxy to coarse in texture. That is why ash gourd is also commonly referred to as wax gourd. Due to this waxy protective layer, it has a long shelf life and can be stored for more than just a few months for future consumption.
Available throughout Southeast Asia, it is widely consumed in various forms in Indian cuisine. Every region has its own particular way of cooking it. In fact, the city of Agra is quite famous for its sweet candy called Agra ka petha which is made by cutting ash gourd into smaller pieces and boiling them in sugar syrup till they crystalize.
In the rest of the regional cuisines, it is made into various forms of ash gourd curry recipes and sweet dishes like halwa and chutneys, often cooked with other locally available ingredients.
In Bengali cuisine, ash gourd, or চালকুমড়ো, is often made as narkel kumri also famous as narkol diye chal kumro ghonto for everyday Bengali vegetarian meals.
In Hindu culture, ash gourd is also used as a sacrificial object instead of animals, as was prevalent in earlier days. It is placed on the sacrificial altar and cut open in two halves by a single strike from a sacrificial axe. It is then offered to the deity as an offering!
So let’s make this unusual and almost rare Bengali vegetarian recipe of Chal Kumro Ghonto.
Ingredients to make narkol diye chal kumro ghonto
- Wax Gourd or Ash Gourd – in Bengali it is known as Chal Kumro
- Coconut – fresh and grated
- Bay Leaf
- Neutral-flavoured oil such as Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, etc
- Salt & Sugar
- Ghee
Narkel diye chalo kumro niramish torkari recipe instructions
- Usually, ash gourds are large vegetables. They often range from a few kilos in weight; hence, they need to be carved into smaller, manageable pieces for cooking. For a serving for 3 people, you will need a piece weighing around half a kilo or 500 grams
- To begin the prep of the ash gourd, start by peeling the waxy outer shell. Carve out the fleshy centres along with the seeds and discard them. Now grate the rest of the ash gourd and keep it aside
- Similarly, grate the fresh coconut and keep it aside
- Heat a nonstick pan with some oil. Drop a bay leaf or two and let it sizzle for a minute
- Now add the grated chal kumro or ash gourd along with grated coconut and some salt. The salt will bring the moisture out of the ash gourd to help everything cook together easily
- Mix everything well and cover the pan with a lid. Keep the heat on low-medium and allow it to simmer for around 15-20 minutes
- Once the water is reduced, give everything a good mix once again. Check for salt and add as required. Add sugar. As it melts and caramelizes you will notice that it has started to release oil at the edges for the coconut being cooked
- Finish it off with a slight drizzle of Ghee, optional but highly recommended!
- Serve it with steaming hot rice for a delicious Bengali vegetarian meal
How to serve narkol diye chal kumro ghonto
Typically, this Narkel Kumri is served as a dryish side dish along with rice. It doesn’t need any accompaniment of dal to go with this. It is slightly sweet with a rich coconut flavour.
Personally I feel Narkel Kumri tastes even better the next day of cooking. By then the flavour of coconut and subtle flavours of ash gourd along with ghee matures manifold.
More lost & rare Bengali recipes
- Potol er Khosa Bata Recipe
- Kanchkolar Khosa Bata Recipe
- Narkel Ghonto Recipe
- Palong shaker Ghonto | Bengali Mix Veg Recipe
- Niramish Mochar Ghonto Recipe | Bengali Banana Blossom Curry
- Niramish Kanchkolar Kofta Curry Recipe
- Ol er Dalna | Bengali Yam Curry Recipe
- Bhuni Khichuri│Bengali Spicy Mung Bean Pilaf Recipe
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Narkel Kumri aka Narkol diye Char Kumro Ghonto is a classic Bengali vegetarian recipe where Ash Gourd or Wax Gourd is cooked with lots of grated Coconut, to be served as a side dish to rice for a Bengali vegetarian menu for lunch. Hence the name Narkel Kumri, where narkel means coconut and kumri means ash gourd.
- 500 grams Wax Gourd or Ash Gourd – in Bengali it is known as Chal Kumro
- 1 cup Coconut – fresh and grated
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 tbsp Neutral flavoured oil such as Sunflower Oil, Canola Oil, etc
- Salt & Sugar as per taste
- 1 tbsp Ghee
Start the prep by coarsely grating the Ash Gourd and finely grating the coconut
Heat a non stick pan with some oil. Drop a bay leaf or two and let it sizzle for a minute
Now add the grated chal kumro or ash gourd along with grated coconut and some salt.
Mix everything well and cover the pan with a lid. Keep the heat on low-medium and allow it to simmer for around 15-20 minutes
Once the water is reduced, give everything a good mix once again. Check for salt and add as required. Add sugar.
Finish it off with a slight drizzle of Ghee
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