Shukto - Mixed Vegetables

Shukto - Mixed Vegetables

This bitter taste curry is a regional favorite of the people of Bengal, Orissa, and Assam taken generally as a starter item during the midday meal. From mythical Shiva requested Devi Annapurna to cook some dishes including “Shukuta” to the historical figure Shri Chaitanya, the medieval Bengali loved the Shukto. In Shukto the bitterness is rarely allowed to overpower the other flavors like sharpness of mustard paste, poppy seeds, and slight bitterness of sesame seeds, and flavors of ghee too.

Traditional Bengali shukto mixed vegetables recipe

Laphra is

sarvabhauma parivesana karena apane

prabhu kahe,-more deha laphra-vyañjane

Chaitanya-charitamrta

Shukto #1 (A regular recipe)

Ingredients for 4

• Ucche - উচ্ছে (bitter melons) 2 medium
• Aloo - আলু (potato) 2 medium
• Mulo - মুলো (radish) 3 inch approx
• Kachakola - কাঁচা কলা (green banana) 2 pcs
• Kacha pepe - কাঁচা পেঁপে (green papaya) 100 gm
• Eggplant - বেগুন 1 medium
• Gati kochu - গাটি কচু (arbi) 2 small

For Tempering

• Sorsher tel - সর্ষের তেল (mustard oil) 2 tbsp
• Tej pata - তেজ পাতা (bay leaves) 2
• Aada - আদা (fresh ginger) 1 inch
• Shorshe - সর্ষে (mustard seeds) 1 tsp
• Radhuni - রাধুনি (celery seeds)
• Sugar (চিনি) 1 teaspoon
• Salt (লবন) to taste
• Bori/Vadi/Wadi (sun dried pulse drops) 5 to 6 pcs, fried and slightly crushed

Method

1. Dice all the vegetables.
2. Heat oil in a deep vessel. Add bay leaves, minced ginger, mustard seeds and radhuni. Cook until spluttering.
3. Add all vegetables with salt and sugar. Fry until water evaporates and vegetables are lightly fried.
4. Add enough water to cover vegetables and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked.
5. Add a tablespoon of ghee at the end with 1–2 slit green chilies. Cover briefly and serve at room temperature with rice.

Shukto #2 (Special ceremonial recipe)

Ingredients for 4

• Kachakola - green banana
• Kacha pepe - green papaya 100 gm
• Ranga aloo - sweet potato 100 gm
• Aloo - potato 100 gm
• Mulo - radish 100 gm
• Patol - parwal 150 gm
• Dharosh - okra 150 gm
• Begun - brinjal 150 gm
• Sojne danta - drumsticks
• Ucche - bitter melon 100 gm

Wet Masala

• Posto - poppy seeds 2 tbsp
• Sorshe - mustard seeds 2 tbsp
• White Til - sesame seeds 1 tbsp
• Green chillies 3–4

Dry Masala

• Coriander seed powder 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek seed powder 1 tbsp
• Dry red chili powder ½ tsp

For Tempering

• Panch phoron 1 tsp
• Bay leaves 2
• Fresh ginger 2 inches minced
• Mustard oil 100 gm
• Milk 3 tbsp
• Ghee 1 tbsp
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder (optional)
• Hot water as required
• Bori/Vadi/Wadi fried and crushed

Method

1. Wash and cut vegetables into long pieces about 2 inches.
2. Fry boris in ghee and keep aside. Fry bitter gourd and okra separately.
3. Soak mustard seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds in warm water for 10 minutes and grind with green chilies into a paste.
4. Heat oil and fry vegetables starting with harder vegetables first.
5. Add bay leaves, panch phoron and minced ginger.
6. Add fried vegetables with salt and sugar and cook until oil begins to separate.
7. Add wet masala and turmeric (optional) and cook until raw smell disappears.
8. Add hot water and simmer.
9. Add milk and cook for about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender but intact.
10. Add ghee and dry masala, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Add crushed bori before serving.

Tips

The rich taste behind every Bengali dish depends on tempering techniques. One key spice mix is Panch Phoron (five spices).

Panch Phoron for Sabji

1. Fennel seeds
2. Black mustard seeds
3. Fenugreek seeds
4. Cumin seeds
5. Nigella seeds

Panch Phoron for Tok

1. Fennel seeds
2. Black mustard seeds
3. Fenugreek seeds
4. Nigella seeds
5. Coriander seeds