Shukto – Traditional Bengali Recipe

Shukto is nothing but a comforting and delicious Bengali stew that is packed with the goodness of a variety of vegetables. This dish has a very unique flavour and texture, owing to the various different vegetables that are added to it. Shukto is a very popular recipe in Bengali households and is often cooked during special occasions such as festivals, rice-eating ceremonies and more!

Follow this simple recipe and bring the dish alive with Doctors Choice Refined Soybean oil. 

Ingredients :

• 4 medium-sized bitter gourd
• 1 medium-sized raw green banana
• 2 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 2 drumsticks
• 1 eggplant
• 1 white radish
• 5 hyacinth beans
• 10 – 15 dal bori
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp ginger paste 
• 1 tsp panchphoran
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp Doctors Choice Refined Soybean oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups water

Method :

Take both the mustard seeds and poppy seeds and soak them in water for about 10 minutes. 

Strain the water and grind the seeds to form a smooth paste. Keep this aside. 

Clean, wash and peel all the vegetables except for the eggplant. Next, take the bitter gourd, eggplant, raw banana, potatoes, sweet potatoes, white radishes and hyacinth beans and cut them into rectangular strips. Chop the drumsticks up into long strips too. 

Next, take a deep wok and heat Doctors Choice Refined Soybean oil.

Take the eggplant pieces and sprinkle a bit of salt and turmeric powder, give it a good mix and fry it lightly in the wok.

Next, fry the bitter gourd and once that is done fry the dal bori in the remaining oil. Strain the dal bori and keep it aside. 

In the same oil, add in the panchphoran and allow it to sizzle for a minute. 

Add in the 2 types of potatoes, raw banana, drumsticks, white radish and hyacinth beans. 

Mix the vegetable in the oil making sure that every piece is coated with the oil while you allow it to fry. Once done, remove it from the wok and keep it aside.

Next, include the ginger paste into the wok. Give it a good mix and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add the poppy seed and mustard seed paste and mix again while it cooks for another 2 minutes. 

Sprinkle the salt, turmeric powder and sugar and cook for 3 – 4 minutes over a low flame. 

Next, gently pour the milk and water into the spice mixture while stirring continuously.  

Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in all the fried vegetables and cover the wok with a lid so as to allow it to cook in the mixture. 

After about 10 minutes, remove the lid and check the water level. If required, add more water as Shukto is a dish best served with a sufficient amount of gravy. 

Add a dollop of ghee into the Shukto and boil for 2 minutes on high flame. 

Once done, serve this delicious and healthy recipe with piping hot rice!