Bengali Mix-veg Shukto Recipe

The most popular type, Bengali shukto, is a mild, filling stew that contains a wide range of vegetables, including drumsticks, flat beans, green bananas, raw papaya, brinjal, sweet potatoes, and bitter gourd. Even though this form of shukto has recently come to be associated with ‘traditional’ Bengali weddings and other feasts. A staple of Bengali cooking, this Shukto recipe is also highly sought after in eateries. So if you want to make this authentic Bengali dish at home here is the recipe:

Ingredients 

• 150 g unripe bananas
• 160 g drumsticks 
• 100 g potato
• 50 g bitter gourd
• 100 g brinjal
• 100 g flat beans
• 120 g sweet potato
• 150 g unripe papaya
• 4 pcs bay leaves 
• 600 g water
• 60 g refined sunflower oil
• 10 pcs sundried lentil dumplings
• ‍¼ tsp maida‍ 
• 35 g ginger paste
• 25 g fresh ground mustard paste
• 15g of grated coconut 
• 10 g ghee
• ½ tsp panch phoron 
• Salt 
• Sugar‍
• ½ tsp radhuni, finely ground‍
• ‍100 g milk 

Method 

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables 

Let us start the shukto recipe by peeling and cutting the potatoes and sweet potatoes lengthwise. Cut the papaya, brinjal, and banana on the side as well. Next, cut the flat beans in half, remove the fibrous strands, and cut the end off. Slice the bitter gourd and cut the drumstick into long pieces after removing the outer fibres. 

Step 2: Frying and Boiling 

Put the drumsticks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, papaya, and flat beans in a bowl with water and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat for 16 minutes. Strain as soon as finished to stop the veggies from continuing to cook. 

Now take one kadai and add refined sunflower oil to fry the dumplings. When it turns golden brown, take it off the fryer and keep it aside. Now fry bitter gourd banana and brinjal one by one until they turn golden. Keep it aside.

Step 3: Tempering the Oil 

Add panch phoron and bay leaves to the refined sunflower oil to temper it. After it becomes fragrant, add the ginger paste and cook it for one minute over low heat. After that, add mustard paste and keep frying. 

Step 4: Cook Everything 

Now, add the sunflower oil to cook the boiled potatoes for three minutes over low heat. Add the fried vegetables, lentil dumplings, and the remaining boiled vegetables. Next, adjust the sugar and salt to taste. After a few minutes, add the grated coconut and radhuni. This brings a heavenly smell to the Shukto recipe. 

Step 5: Prepare the Milk

Now combine the milk and maida and pour the mixture into the pan. On low heat, let everything bubble until all the vegetables are cooked through. 

Step 6: Final Touch 

Add the ghee over the shukto and keep it on low heat for a few minutes. Lastly, garnish with grated coconut and serve it with steamed rice.   

Try this Shukto recipe today with the goodness of refined oil to experience a classic dish that exudes the simplicity of Bengali cuisine.