Shukto

Shukto is a typical Bengali dish. This traditional Bengali recipe usually has a bit bitter taste. It is prepared with several vegetables and pinch of sugar to adjust the bitterness.

Ingredients:

• Drumstick – 50 gm (cut the drumstick into 2” long strips)
• Radish- sliced one piece
• Bitter gourd-100 gm, nicely sliced
• Mustard seed- two tablespoon
• Whole mustard seeds-1/2 tablespoon
• Five spices-1/2 tablespoon
• Raw banana or plantain- one piece sliced
• Flat beans -50 gm cut out into two end points
• Barbatti or yard long beans : 100 gm
• Ginger paste: 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder : ½ tablespoon
• Sugar: ½ tablespoon
• Clarified butter or Ghee- 1 tablespoon
• Eggplant/Brinjal: One piece (sliced)
• Bori-50 gm
• Dry Red chili- one piece
• Salt to taste
• Bay Leaf-one piece
• Oil: 9 table spoon

Procedure:

Take a wok. Heat four tablespoon of oil Add bori to the oil Fry bori till brown Take out the bori and keep it aside Add 4 tablespoon of oil Add in the bitter gourd and then fry till brown Take out and keep it aside. Add in potato, raw banana, brinjal, radish, long yard beans, flat beans, drumstick and rest vegetables in the oil. Stir for three minutes. Add sugar, salt, ginger paste and turmeric powder. Stir well for about two minutes or so. Pour four cups of water. Cover and cook for five minutes Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat and keep aside. Heat one table spoon of oil and ghee in a separate wok. Now add in dry red chilli, bay leaf and whole mustard seeds and stir the aroma releases. Add the mustard seed paste and vegetable mixture Add fried bori and bitter gourd Boil the mixture till it thickens. Remove from the heat and serve the shukto with steamed rice.

Bengali Style Mutton Preparation

Ingredients

• Mutton: 500 gm (4 servings)
• Minched Cloves
• Two finely chopped onions
• Chili powder
• Two bay leaves
• Blended ginger and garlic paste
• Garam masala
• Meat masala
• One cup curd
• One cup of mustard oil
• Salt to taste
• Mashed tomato

Preparation:

First of all, cut the mutton into pieces and place them into a pressure cooker. Put it over the flame and then heat for seven to eight whistles. Now you can place the pressure cooker aside. Take a pan and heat the oil and then sauté the ginger, garlic and onion till the color turns into brownish. Now add in the mashed tomato and the sauté in the low steam for about two to three minutes.
Now add the meat masala and garam masala and sauté for another two minutes or so. Now add in a bit of water into it and sauté for another one minute. Open pressure cooker and add in the mutton onto the frying pan. Add salt to taste and little water and mix them well with the mutton. Cover and then cook for ten minutes in medium steam. Serve hot when ready with toasted bun or with sauce.