Shukto (Mixed Vegetable Curry with Bitter gourd - Bengali style)

          Shukto is a traditional Bengali cuisine and is considered as a delicacy. This is a mixed vegetable curry which has a fair amount of bitter gourd in it. It is cooked into a mustard and milk based gravy. 

           It is mildly spiced with the addition of one or two dry red chili and tempered with  Panch Phoron, the popular Bengali five spice and bay leaves. It is served with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a full course meal as it is believed that the bitterness helps in purifying the blood. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 4 cups mixed veggies (radish, potato, beans, raw banana, pumpkin, eggplants, etc.) diced
• 1/2 cup bitter gourd, sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 10-12 bori (lentil dumplings / mangodi / vadi)
• 2 whole dry red chilies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantity of fennel, mustard, cumin, fenugreek & nigella seeds
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp. mustard paste / kasundi
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. sugar 

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadi till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with bay leaves, dry red chilies and panch phoron. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the ginger and give it a stir. Now add the bitter gourd and sauté on a high flame for 2 minutes. 

          Then add chopped veggies (except pumpkin and eggplants), salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and green chilies. 

          Mix everything well and continue to fry on high flame for 2-3 minutes. Then add the remaining veggies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes more.

          Add 1 & 1/2 cups water and fried vadi. Cover and cook on a low flame till the veggies turns soft and the gravy is slightly reduced. 

          When done, add the milk, ghee, sugar and mustard paste. Mix well and Simmer for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a meal. 

                     Heat oil in a pan & fry the vadi till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside. 

                     Temper the same oil with bay leaves, dry red chilies & panch phoron. 

                              After it stops spluttering, add the ginger and give it a stir. 

                           Now add the better gourd & sauté on a high flame for 2 minutes. 

                     Add chopped veggies (except pumpkin & eggplants), salt, turmeric powder,
                     cumin powder & green chilies. Mix well & sauté on high flame for 2-3 min.

                         Then add the remaining veggies & stir fry for 2-3 minutes more.
. 

                      Add 1 & 1/2 cups water & fried vadi. Cover & simmer on a low flame till 
                      the veggies turns soft and the gravy is slightly reduced. 

                      When done, add milk, ghee, sugar & mustard paste. Mix well & Simmer 
                      for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. 

                                Serve with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a meal.