DUDH SHUKTO

Shukto is a traditional Bengali recipe with minimum spices, a classic melange of vegetables. It derives its distinct flavor from 'bitter gourd'. Food loving Bengali lunch started with saak bhaja (stir fry of any leafy vegetable), shukto, dal with fritters or bhaji, vegetable curry, non-veg dish i.e. fish, eggs, chicken or mutton and ends with chutney. If it is guest treat, or any special day lots of sweets are there in addition....So, Bengalis are fond of eating well and feeding others. Lots of vegetables can be used in this preparation, as bitter gourd used in it, so little bitter but sweet in taste, but all other vegetables flavored on their own distinct taste. Here milk is used to flavor the whole preparation, it gives a different taste in it. So, it is called DUDH SHUKTO. It is a healthy, sattvic, nutritious and complete meal with rice. Panch phoron with clarified butter make this dish rich and delectable one. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Potato
2 Bitter gourds
4 medium plantains
2 Round shaped Eggplants
12 Long Beans
2 Long Drumsticks
8 small round Radishes
2 Bay leaves
1&1/2 tbsps Panch Phoron
(if you don't have, mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds & nigella seeds equally)
1&1/2 tbsps Ginger paste
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Sugar (it is for flavor of this dish)
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Warm water
1&1/2 tbsps Clarified Butter (Ghee)
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and cut bitter gourd in 1&1/2" thin slices. Marinate with little salt and leave aside.

Peel potato, radish, plantain and drumsticks. Cut potato, eggplants, plantains, radishes, drumsticks and long beans in 2" long pieces.

Now wash all the vegetables nicely.

Dry roast panch phoron for 3 minutes. Remove it from heat and pound coarsely. Keep aside

Heat 2 tbsps oil in wok. Add bitter gourd slices in it. Fry nicely till bitter gourd turns into light brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon, set aside.

Add remaining oil in wok. Add bay leaves. Saute for few seconds. Now add all vegetables in it. Fold well and cover with lid. Keep stirring occasionally.

After 5 minutes, add ginger paste in it. Again fry for another 2-3 minutes uncovered, then add coriander powder, salt and sugar in it. Mix well. Keep stirring for another 2 minutes. Now add milk and warm water together in it. Fold well and when it starts boiling, cook covered for another 5 minutes in low heat.

Add coarsely pounded panch phoron and clarified butter in it. Remove from heat and fold well. Keep the wok covered for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

TIPS: You may add raw papaya or raw squash, it enhances its flavor.
         Here 'bori' is not available, so I could not add bori, otherwise adding fried bori with shukto tastes
         awesome!