Bengali Shukto
A traditional and comforting Bengali mixed vegetable dish characterized by its unique bitter-sweet flavor profile. Prepared with a blend of indigenous vegetables and delicate spices, it is often served as the first course of a traditional multi-course meal.
55min
Total Time
4
Servings
Bengali
Cuisine
Recipe
1
Lightly fry the bitter gourd slices in a little oil until golden and set aside.
2
In the same pan, add a bit more oil and lightly sauté the green banana, sweet potato, raw papaya, potato, and broad beans separately, then set them aside.
3
Heat ghee and oil in a deep pan, temper with bay leaf, dried red chilli, and panch phoran.
4
Add radhuni, ginger paste, and mustard paste, sautéing for a minute without letting them burn.
5
Add all the fried vegetables and drumsticks into the pan, tossing gently with the spices.
6
Pour in warm water, add salt and sugar, cover, and let the vegetables simmer until tender.
7
Pour in the milk and the flour slurry to thicken the gravy slightly.
8
Add the fried bitter gourd back in, stir gently, and let it simmer for another two minutes.
9
Drizzle a little raw ghee on top before removing from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.
Ingredients
1 bitter gourd (korola), sliced into half-moons with seeds removed
1 medium green banana, peeled and cut into batons
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup drumstick pieces (shojne data)
1 cup raw papaya, peeled and cubed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup broad beans (shim)
1 tablespoon radhuni (wild celery seeds)
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon mustard paste
1 tablespoon Ghee
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 bay leaf
1 dried red chilli
1 tablespoon panch phoran (five spice blend)
1 teaspoon wheat flour or rice flour mixed with a little water for thickening
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.