Shukto Bengali Bitter Vegetable Medley

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the bitter gourd: Bitter gourd (karela) has natural bitterness which is the defining character of shukto. Slice it into thin rounds about 3 mm thick. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt over the slices. Mix and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze out and discard the salty water that is released. This step reduces some bitterness without removing it completely.

2. 2

   Soak poppy seeds and mustard seeds for the paste: Place 1 tsp poppy seeds in 2 tbsp water and 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds in 2 tbsp water separately. Soak for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Grind the paste: Drain the soaked poppy seeds and mustard seeds. Place in a small mixer with 1 green chilli, ginger paste and 2 tbsp fresh water. Grind to a smooth, thin paste. Keep aside.

4. 4

   Fry the bori first: If using dried lentil bori, heat mustard oil in a wide pan. Fry the bori for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and puffed. Remove and set aside. This step adds a crunchy element to the finished shukto.

5. 5

   Heat mustard oil until smoking: In the same pan heat 2 tbsp mustard oil on high until it just smokes. Reduce to medium. This removes the pungency from raw mustard oil.

6. 6

   Add panch phoron tempering: Add the panch phoron blend and the dried red chilli to the hot oil. They will crackle and pop — the combined fragrance of the five spices is the characteristic opening note of shukto.

7. 7

   Add the bitter gourd first: Add the salted and squeezed bitter gourd slices to the pan. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally for 4 minutes until they begin to soften and turn slightly golden.

8. 8

   Add remaining vegetables: Add the raw banana rounds, sweet potato cubes and potato cubes. Sprinkle turmeric over everything. Stir gently to coat all the vegetables in the spiced oil.

9. 9

   Add milk and the paste: Pour in 1/2 cup milk. Add the ground poppy-mustard paste. Add sugar and salt. Stir gently to combine. The milk will look curdled initially — this is normal, it will come together as it heats.

10. 10

    Cook covered until vegetables are tender: Cover the pan. Cook on medium-low heat for 12 minutes until all the vegetables are completely tender. Open the lid. The sauce should be thick and creamy from the milk and paste. Add the fried bori. Add 1 tsp ghee. Stir gently once. Serve immediately with steamed rice as the first course.

11. 11

    Note: Shukto is eaten at the very beginning of a traditional Bengali meal — before any other curry or dal — because its gentle bitterness and the mustard-poppy paste sauce are believed to stimulate digestion and prepare the palate. It is a uniquely Bengali preparation with no equivalent in any other Indian regional cuisine. The bitterness from the karela is essential and intentional — a shukto without karela is not authentic.