Shukto - Chef Ananya Banerjee

For many, West Bengal maybe known for its popular sweet dishes however, a bitter-truth about the land of sandesh is that ‘shukto’, a bitter dish is Bengali favorite. It is a traditional Bengali dish without which a meal is considered incomplete. In a typical Bengali lunch, shukto is served at beginning and is believed to excite the digestive juices before the meal making digestion easier. It is made using many nutritious vegetables which are good for health. This bitter-medley of vegetables is best enjoyed with rice. There are many varieties of shukto and some are not necessarily bitter. Try making this dish at home and enjoy it with your family.

Ingredients:
Raw banana
Bitter gourd
Drum sticks
Papdi (Sheem)
Brinjal
Pumpkin
Ridge gourd
Pointed gourd (Parwal)
1tbsp khuskhus
Jeera
Bay leaf
Baris
½ tbsp of yellow mustard seeds
½ table of black mustard seeds

Method:
Soak all the seeds(shorshe posto) in the water for 20 minutes and grind them
Heat 2 tbsp of Mustard oil add 1 tsp jeera & bay leaf, add bitter gourd in the same oil first. Then, add some baris and saute it till light brown and keep it aside
In the same oil, add mixed vegetables and saute them. Add salt to taste and some water. Cover it with the lid and let it cook till the vegetables are 90% cooked
Now add the fried bitter gourd and baris which were left aside in the vegetables mix it well and cook till vegetables are 100% cooked
Sieve the grounded shorshe posto water and add it in the vegetables. Let it simmer and add some sugar to taste
Add ½ cup of milk and boil the vegetables. Sprinkle some ghee on the top and add bhaja masala on top.
Shukto is ready to be served.
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