Shukto is a famous vegetable dish from Bengali cuisine usually served with rice. The tradition of starting a meal by consuming bitter-tasting food is considered to have a medicinal value. Shukto has a slightly bitter taste and is especially served in Bengali social ceremonies like Annaprasana or Bengali Wedding as a part of traditional Bengali thali.
This dish can be prepared in different ways.
Recipe features
FFD style shukto has all the goodness of sweet potato, brinjal, raw banana, green beans, drum sticks etc. This dish is given a vegan touch by using vegan milk instead of normal milk. Use of bodi or vadi which are the lentil dumplings add to the dal portion very well in this. We can add this in lunch for diabetic patients.
Here is the detailed recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sweet Potato
- 1 Cup Bitter Gourd/ Karela (Sliced)
- 1 Cup Raw Banana/ Kanchkola (Cut in 1 inch size)
- 2 Cup Brinjal/ Egg Plant (Cut in 1 inch size)
- 2 Cup Green Beans & Drumsticks (Cut in 2 inch size)
- 1 Cup Bori/ Vadi/ Lentil Dumplings
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
- 5 Tbsp Vegan Milk
- 1 Tbsp Horse Gram Flour (Kulthi)
- 1 TbspRadhuni or Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
- 2 Bay Leaves (Tejpatta)
- 2 Whole Dry Red Chilli
- 1 Tsp Bengali Five Spice or PanchPhoran (Mix 1 tbsp each to make PanchPhoran – cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji, methi seeds)
- ½ Tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ Tsp Oil
- 1 ½ Tsp Stevia Powder
- Salt to taste
Method
- Prepare shukto masala by heating 1 tsp of panchphoran and ½ tsp mustard seeds in a pan and then powder this and set aside.
- Heat oil and add the ginger paste along with whole dry red chillies, the radhuni or caraway seeds and the bay leaves. Sauté for a min.
- Add all the vegetables and sauté the above mixture.
- Add saltthen cover and shallow fry the vegetables for 7 mins by turning them from time to time.
- Add a cup of water then cover and cook for another 10 mins over medium heat.
- Then Mix the horse gram flour with the vegan milk and make a lump free mixture.
- Add this and mix well and let the curry to simmer for 2 mins.
- Then add in the fried boris or vadis.
- Cook covered for 3-4 mins more.
- Finally turn off the heat, add the shukto masala.
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