Panch Mishali (Mixed Vegetable Curry - Bengali Style)

          This is a traditional mixed vegetable curry in the Bengali style. It means a mish mash of 5 veggies. So you can choose any 5 types of vegetables to cook up this simple delicacy. I have made use of green papaya, red pumpkin, parwal (pointed gourd). raddish and eggplants in this recipe.

          I have also added fried vadi (dried lentil dumplings), but for a non-veg. version, it is generally cooked either with prawns or fish head.This dish is a very common menu in any Bengali household. It is relished with rice, khichdi (Rice porridge), chapati, poori or paratha. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 1 cup each of eggplants, pumpkin, green papaya, radish & parwal (pointed gourd), cubed
• 8-10 vadi (dried lentil dumplings)
• 2 tbsp, mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantity of fennel, fenugreek, cumin, mustard & nigella seeds)
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 1-2 green chilies, broken into half
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ghee
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the vadi till golden brown. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with panch phoron, bay leaf, dry red chili, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.

          Saute for a few seconds. Then add the ginger paste and all the dry spices mixed with a little water. Saute till oil separates.

          Add all the chopped veggies and the fried vadis. Stir to mix with all the spices. Cover and cook on a low flame till the moisture evaporates.

          At this point if the veggies are not soft enough, add 1/2 - 1 cup water and continue to simmer, covered till done. Add ghee and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

  

                              Heat oil & fry vadis till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside.

                     Temper with green chilies, panch phoron, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms 
                     and cloves.

                   Add ginger-garlic paste & all dry spices mixed with some water. Saute
                    till oil separates. 

                          Add chopped veggies & fried vadis. Cover & cook til done. Add 
                          water if necessary.

                                When done, add ghee.

                               Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.