Shukto, a light stew is a summer veggies which is a palate cleanser of the Bengali cuisine.

<>My Moms recipe

Main Ingredients : Bitter Gourd, White Raddish

Cuisine : Bengali

Course : Main Course Vegetarian

The Bengalis are great food lovers and take pride in their cuisine. In fact so obsessed are they about food, that the man of the house goes to the market daily to buy a fresh supply vegetables and fish which is a must in their daily menu. The medium of cooking is mustard oil which adds its own pungency. Another very important item of Bengali cuisine is the variety of sweets or mishti as they call them. Most of them are milk based and are prepared from chhena.
A meal, for the Bengali, is a ritual in itself. Bengalis spend not only the great deal of time thinking about the food but also on its preparation and eating.

Prep Time : 26-30 minutes

Cook time : 26-30 minutes

Serve : 4

Level Of Cooking : Moderate

Ingredients for Shukto
• Bitter Gourd Bitter gourd (karela) 1 medium

• White Raddish 1 inch cubes1 medium

• Ridge gourd (turai) 1 inch cubes1 medium

• Sweet potatoes 1 inch cubes1 medium

• Potatoes 1 inch cubes1 medium

• Broad beans (sem ki phalli/papdi) 1 inch pieces1 medium

• Drumsticks 1 inch pieces2

• Eggplants/ brinjals 1 inch cubes1 medium

• Oil 5 tablespoons

• Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto) 2 tablespoons

• Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

• Ginger 1 inch piece

• Panch phoran 1 teaspoon

• Bay leaves 2

• Sugar 1 teaspoon

• Salt to taste

• Ghee 1 tablespoon

Nutrition Info

Calories : 1251

Carbohydrates : 88.6

Protein : 11.3

Fat : 94.5

Other : 24.4gm

Method

Step 1

Wash and cut the bitter gourd into thin roundels. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry bitter gourd slices lightly. Drain and keep aside. Make a thick paste of poppy seeds, mustard seeds and ginger.

Step 2

Heat the remaining oil in a kadai. Add panch phoron and bay leaves. When the seeds start to crackle, add the chopped vegetables and stir lightly.

Step 3

Add the ground spices and stir for five to seven minutes. Add two cups of water and cover. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally till vegetables are almost cooked.

Step 4

Add the fried bitter gourd, salt and sugar. Stir and add a tablespoon of ghee. Cook for another two minutes till gravy is not too thick nor too dry. Serve hot.
Let it cool a bit and serve with warm cooked rice. Actually shukto is eaten when it's not hot and at room temperature, sometimes even cold.

Try with plain rice. As a bengali I love that.....Please try, you will also love it....