The Armenian Origins Of Bengal's Beloved Dish, ‘Potoler Dorma’

The Armenians migrated to India in the 16th century to escape Turkish prosecution. The community traded in expensive Venetian glassware, amber, wool, swords and guns, in exchange of spices, pearls, cotton, and precious stones from India. As their trade expanded, they eventually settled in Calcutta, where they grew as realtors, particularly in the jute industry. Some of them even became successful hoteliers in the city. The Grand Hotel of Kolkata, lovingly called the Grand Dame of Chowringhee, was built by the Armenian entrepreneur, Arathoon Stephen. The Armenians also built themselves a church on Portuguese Church Street, currently known as Armenian Street. There is even a functional ferry station called Armenian Ghat near the church. The Armenians therefore, had a long-standing relationship with Calcutta and the people of the city. Even though they always maintained their identity through their unique lifestyle and food, they also eventually managed to integrate with the Bengali culture.

One unique feature of the Armenian home is the the grape vine, which is planted not only for the grapes themselves, but for harvesting the leaves to make dolmas (meat and rice wrapped in grape leaves). The grape leaves were later replaced with cabbage leaves, and the meat and fish were replaced with Indian delicacies like the Hilsa and other traditional ingredients. With the rising camaraderie between the Armenians and the Indians, there emerged a fusion in their food styles as they exchanged recipes and ingredients. As Bengalis started experimenting with Armenian recipes, they invented the potoler dorma, which is a slight deviation from the Armenian dish, potoler dolma. The Bengali delicacy consists of pointed gourd stuffed with minced fish (usually shrimp) or meat. There is even a vegetarian version of the dolma the Bengalis invented, in which the pointed gourd is filled with soaked gram flour churned into a paste and roasted with ghee cumin powder, hing, chillies, ginger, peanuts, and grated coconut. The stuffed gourds are then fried over medium heat, before being dipped into a gravy prepared with the flavours of garam masala and ghee. The dorma which is stuffed with minced fish or meat is also cooked in a similar way, but of course taste completely different.

This recipe has been passed down through generations in Bengali families with varying levels of innovations, and today, it has become almost a staple delicacy in Bengali households whenever there is a special occasion. The most interesting part of the delicacy is its endless potential to innovate and reinvent itself by changing the stuffing used.

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