SUKTO

It is a traditional Bengali recipe and most popular in the Bangladesh and West Bengal district in India. SUKTO is sweet-bitter in taste, but I am sure if you try for a single time, you will surely love it.

Best goes with steamed rice. Conventionally, SUKTO is taken at the start of the main meal. The vegetables used to prepare this dish are available all through the year. So, you can eat this customary Indian- Bengali recipe any time you want.

Difficulty level- easy

Time taken- 30 minutes

Serves- 4 persons

Ingredients

Potato – 1 medium sized (cut into medium sized pieces)

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) - 1 medium sized (cut into medium sized pieces)

Drumstick- 3 Nos. (Cut into medium sized pieces)

Bitter gourd/Bitter melon- 2 Nos. (Cut into medium sized pieces)

Parwal (Pointed gourd) - 3 Nos. (Cut into medium sized pieces)

Brinjal/ Eggplant- 1 No (cut into medium sized pieces)

Green banana- 1 (cut into medium sized pieces)

Pumpkin- 150 grams (cut into medium sized pieces)

Green papaya- 150 grams (cut into medium sized pieces)

Radish- 1 (cut into medium sized pieces)

Milk- 150 ml

Badi (Bari) - 10-12 Nos. (It is a sundried small cake made from urad dal batter)

Mustard oil- 150 ml

Ginger paste- 1 tablespoon

Mustard paste- 1 tablespoon

Ghee (Clarified butter) - 2 tablespoon

Panch Phoron (see below) - ½ tsp

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Sugar- 2 tsp

Jeera (Cumin) paste- 2 tsp

Dried red chilli- 3 Nos

Salt- to taste

The procedure

· Grind the ‘Panch phoron’ after dry heating over a pan.

· Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry all the vegetables till half done. Keep them aside.

· Again heat 50 ml oil. Add the mustard seeds and the dried red chillies to it. Sauté for a minute.

· Add the ginger paste. Stir fry for 3 minutes.

· Transfer all the fried vegetables and stir fry for 5-7 minutes. Then mix the content well adding 150 ml of hot water and salt.

· Add the ‘badi (bari) pieces. Do not stir.

· Now, it’s the time to add the milk, sugar, ghee and mustard paste. Mix well.

· Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes in low heat.

· Remove from the flame.

· Sprinkle the ‘Panch phoron’ powder over the dish. Your SUKTO is ready.

· Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tips

· ‘Panch foron’ is a combination of spices used primarily by the Bengalis and it contains five types of condiments; these are equal amount of cumin seeds, fennel, black cumin seed (Bunium persicum), radhuni (wild celery) and a little less amount of fenugreek seeds.

· To make a mustard paste, you may add 1-2 green chillies. It will help to remove the bitterness.

· Cut all the vegetables in 1 ½ inches long to make ideal SUKTO.