SHUKTO

SHUKTO.... the quintessential  Bengali mixed vegetable curry we have grown up eating. A normal five course Bengali meal comprises of "shukto, dal n bhaja, tarkari, maacher jhol and chutney". Now a days we do not have time for such elaborate cooking everyday, but we do at least 2-3 of them in turns. Shukto has become an week end affair considering the amount of veggies we need to cut. Yet its absolutely worth it, all nourishment in one bowl, health loaded.

I remember, I hated veggies as a teen. Mom used to mash up all vegetables with  rice and force feed me. Perhaps so I feel mom's Shukto tasted so heavenly, being feed with love. Today I enjoy having it, and mash SHUKTO and other vegetable preparations to force fed the son. A bowl of steamed rice topped with SHUKTO with some lemon juice squeezed on it seems perfect for me. I visit all the way to the Indian market to get the veggies required for it which are quite a number. Authentically, we do not use turmeric powder in this dish but I added a little to give a touch of colour to it. Let us start with it.

Click the link / heading below for the recipe of "Bori"...

BEULIR DALER BORI / DAL VADI / SUN DRIED LENTIL BALL

INGREDIENTS :[The Vegetables]
Drumsticks : 2
Long Beans : 2
Raw Banana : 2[medium]
Ridge Gourd : 2[medium]
Bitter Gourd : 2[small]
Egg Plants : 2-3[small]
Sweet Potato : 2-3[small]

INGREDIENTS :[The Spices]
Ajmod[Radhuni] : 2-3 pinches [WIKI says radhuni is dried fruit of Trachyspermum Roxburghianum, a flowering plant; smells like parsley, tastes like celery. Honestly, until I had a blog, I did not require to know what radhuni is called outside my family; some called it wild celery seed, I took it, now WIKI says it is this]
Mustard Seeds Paste : 1tsp
Panchphoron Guro[powder] : 1/2tsp [ A powder made from equal amount of fennel, cumin, nigella, fenugreek, ajmod]
Bayleaf : 1

INGREDIENTS :[The Final Cooking]
Beulir Daler Bori / Dal Vadi : 7-8 [sundried urad dal balls]
Salt : As Required
Turmeric Powder : 2 pinches[optional]
Milk : 1/2 small cup
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Oil : 1tbsp
Ghee : 1/2tsp

METHOD :

All vegetables need to be cut and kept in separate bowls because we will fry each separately and add to the curry at different stages.

Cut the drumsticks and long beans lengthwise.

Peel the raw banana, sweet potato and ridge gourd. Cut them lengthwise after being halved.

Cut the egg plants into halves and the bitter gourds small.

Wash them and rub with salt. Heat oil in a pan , fry all the vegetables and the sun-dried lentil balls separately and keep aside.

Temper oil with radhuni and bayleaf. Add the drumsticks, stir and cover cook for 3 minutes.

Add the long beans, raw bananas and sweet potato pieces, stir and cover cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric and the mustard paste. Stir carefully and cover cook at low heat for 2 minutes.

Remove cover and add 1 medium cup water and the fried dal vadi. Let boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered panchphoron, milk and sugar. Let boil for 3-4 minutes.

Add the fried bitter gourd and egg plant pieces, stir carefully. Add the ghee on top and switch off.

Enjoy with steamed hot rice.