Sometime ago one of my acquaintance's mother came to visit them and she had prepared a typical Bengali meal for us. The first course in a normal Bengali lunch is something bitter and boiled/steamed. Shukto is one such dish. It is bitter and made of boiled vegetables. And it is such a wonderful dish. It was after such a long since I has tasted it that I felt I was at home for an instance. Well, I knew there were certain specific vegetables used to make Shukto, like sojne data. So I never tried making it. But the acquaintance's mother had substituted the sojne danta with phul kopir data, which i think is brilliant. The end result is fantastic. People use Hing in seasoning but I do not like the smell of hing and so I do not use it. Also using bordii ( vadi) which is usually made of moong Dal, is usual but I did not have them at home so I did not use it. Its a tasty option.
Ingredients: (the veggie list ):
phul kopir danta, bitter gourd, carrot, potatoes, beans
2 tsp mustard and 1 tsp posto
coriander powder- 1tsp
garam masala- a pinch
Seasoning:
paanch phoron
methi seeds
bay leaves
dry red chillies
Procedure:
put the mustard seeds and posto in a warm cup of water for 2-3 hrs and then grind it to a thin consistency.
cut all the veggies to about 1 inch squares or rounds. slice the danta into thin long strips.
Heat oil in a wok and add the seasonings all together. when it starts spluttering add the vegetables and stir it for a few minutes. Once the vegetables soften add the mustard-posto mixture. mix everything and then add some water if needed.
Some people like it dry, some people like it with some gravy, and some love it maakha maakha!!
*wink*wink*
