Parwal Masala (No Onion No Garlic)
A simple, healthy Indian vegetarian Parwal masala recipe without onion or garlic — easy to cook and perfect with roti or rice.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash the parwal thoroughly. Peel its skin in alternate strips so that the vegetable retains good texture after cooking. Then slice lengthwise and keep aside.
- Grind the chopped tomatoes, ginger and watermelon seeds (or poppy seeds) into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai on medium flame. Add the parwal pieces and lightly sauté until they are almost cooked. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Add the ground tomato-ginger-seed paste and fry on medium flame till the raw smell of tomato disappears.
- Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Stir well so the spices are combined with the gravy.
- Add the sautéed parwal back into the gravy. Add a little water (about ¼ to ½ cup) to adjust consistency. Cover and simmer on low flame for 4-5 minutes so the parwal absorbs the flavors.
- Check salt and spice levels. Once parwal pieces are cooked through and gravy coats them well, switch off the heat.
- Transfer the Parwal Masala into a serving bowl. Serve hot with chapati, roti or steamed rice.
Notes
You can skip watermelon or poppy seeds if unavailable; the gravy will be thinner but still tasty. Adjust spice level as per your taste. Fresh parwal gives the best flavor and texture. Good for a no-onion no-garlic diet or Jain meals.