By Nandini Bhushan
Bengal is known for its rich art and culture but at the same is looked upon as a pilgrimage for food lovers. Bengali cuisine offers a perfect blend of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. The secret of the flavoursome cuisine is the unique blend of sweets and spices that gives it a distinct taste. Let us bring together a few of the popular Bengali dishes.
Also try: Indian food recipes: Ilish Bhapa
Shukto
The nutritious and healthy shukto is a traditional Bengali mixed vegetable recipe with a slightly bitter taste. It is an integral menu of all the important social occasions with fragrant spices and amazing flavour and is served along with hot steaming rice.
Ingredients
(Serving for 4)
Potato: 1 large
Sweet potato: 2
Bitter gourd: 1
Brinjal: 1
Pumpkin: 250 gms
Carrot: 1
Radish: 1
Flat beans: 10
Arbi: 4
Tomato: 1
Ginger: 1
Dry red chilli: 2
Green chilli: 2
Lentil bori: 10 to 12
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Panch phoran: 1 tsp
Bay leaves: 4
Sugar: a pinch
Ghee: 1 tsp
Milk: ½ cup
Oil: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Step 1
Cut all the vegetables and cut into equal sizes.
Step 2
Grind mustard seed, poppy seed, tomato, green chilli and ginger into a smooth paste.
Step 3
Fry the bori and keep it aside.
Step 4
Pressure cook the sliced vegetables along with salt and turmeric powder for about a whistle.
Step 5
Heat oil in a thick bottom vessel and panch phoran and let it splutter. Add the bay leaf and broken red chilli and saute for a couple of seconds.
Step 6
To this add the boiled vegetables along with the ground masala paste, and sugar and cook on low flame for a couple of minutes. Add milk.
Step 7
Add salt and little water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Add ghee and top with bori and slit green chilli and cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 8
Serve hot with steamed rice.