Bengali Shuktani

Shukto is a Bengali delicacy but has Portuguese origin. During the time of Portuguese Colonization in India, in case of West Bengal they dominate over the Hooghly region (1579-1672). They used to cook it during that time. Shukto is a not spicy mixed vegetable dish with Uchche or bitter gourd (which has Indian origin) and builir dal vada or even sundried lentils bora, cooked in milk gravy. It has no use of Onion Garlic in it.

We bongs treat shukto as a special dish in occasion like annaprasan, birthday etc as a veg side in lunch. An exclusive bengali spice 'radhuni' is used whrn cooked for an occasion. It tastes delicious. There is a famous Bengali song depicting you are judged as a good chef if you can prepare shukto.

Cuisine : Bengali, 

Servings : 4 people

Nutritional facts of cooked veges

Builir Dal

Ingredients for Builir Dal Fried Vada :

1. Builir dal/urad - 100 gms
2. Fennel - 1/2 tbsp
3. Green chili - 1 piece
4. A pinch of asafoetida
5. Ginger - 1/2 inch
6. Mustard oil to fry - 2 and 1/2tbsp

Preparation for Dal Vada:

Fried dal vada

1. Soak the dal for 2 hours.

grind the dal along with 4 tbsp water, fennel seeds, green chilis, pinch of asafoetida (hing) and ginger to a thick paste. Add 1/2 tbsp salt to the paste.

2. Heat a frying pan on oven. Put mustard oil. Heat oil. Take a spoonful batter or u can use your hands, dip it in oil carefully.

Fry round shaped dal batter till light brown. Strain the excess oil and keep aside.

Kudri

Ingredients for Sukto :

Vegetables:

1. Potato - 1 big

2. Green unripe banana - 1 big

3. Coccinia grandis/ kudri -10-12 pieces

4. Pointed gourd/ parwal/potol - 2 pieces

5. Papaya - 1/4th part

6. Drumstick/sojne data - two fruits

7. Bitter gourd/ uchche - 2 big

8. Radish - 1 piece (optional)

9. Eggplant - 1/2 part(optional)

10. Carrot - 1 piece

Spices:

1. Paanch Phoron - 1/2 tsp

2. Radhuni - 1/2 tsp

3. Bay Leaf - 1 piece

4. A pinch of Asafoetida

5. White Mustard paste - 1 n a 1/2 tbsp

6. Milk - 1 n a 1/2 cup

7. Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

8. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp

9. Mustard Oil - 1 n a 1/2 tbsp

10. Salt n Sugar to taste.

Preparation of Shukto:

1. Dice all vegetables. Cut 2 drumstick into 2 inches long pieces. Coat diced bitter gourd with 1/2 tbsp of turmeric powder and salt.

Heat a pan with a tbsp of oil. Fry the bitter gourd till reddish-brown. Keep them aside.

Tips : Remove the seeds as it would taste less bitter. (optional)

2. Pour another tbsp of oil. Heat it. Put 1/2 tsp paanch phoron (Cumin, Brown Mustard, Fenugreek, Nigella and Fennel), pinch of asafoetida and a bay leaf, toss it for 3-4 secs.

3. Add the chopped vegetables, 1 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tbsp salt. Toss all the veges in oil once, and cover the pan. Put the oven on sim for 2 mins.

4. Check whether the veges are parboiled. If not toss it again and cover it.

5. Mix 1 n 1/2 tbsp of packed mustard powder (preferably sunrise) with 2 tbsp of water to make a thick paste. Then, pour the paste over boiled veges and give it a nice toss.

6. Add 1 tbsp sugar, a pinch of asafoetida, milk to the veges. The vegetables should remain immersed within milk, or add little water. Mix and toss everything together, and cover it.

7. Open the lid and check after 3 mins. Add the dal vada and 1/2 tbsp ghee. If the curry gets dry, u can add more milk/water as your requirement. Toss it and cover the pan for another 2 mins.

8. Serve the semi thick gravy with some rice.

* Check the amount of salt and sugar before serving.
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