Skip to main content

Bengali Sukto Recipe



Bengali sukto


Bottle gourd (Lauki) is not a favorite with anyone. It wasn't happily savored in my home either unless I learned a Bengali recipe that uses boiled lauki.
I must say anyone who tries this SUKTO recipe will fall in love with lauki smile emoticon

 Introduced to me by my Bengali neighbor - this traditional recipe is a treasure! In north India, we couldn't have thought of this version of lauki.

 Thanks to the fusion of recipes these days,and of course, the Internet, we get to savor and learn recipes from across the country, if not the world. It's great to learn about the food habits of people from across the world.

 Let's come back to the sukto recipe.
I have been in love with traditional recipes. When I learned this recipe, I was on cloud nine. There is a funny story behind my learning of Bengali sukto recipe. Would talk about it later.

 The star ingredients in this recipe are lauki and karela. I did not have karela so I made it without bitter gourd. Nevertheless, it tastes yum. Ideally it is not so watery, but I kept it little flowy!

It has become a favorite ever since. A healthy blend of boiled vegetables, sukto uses bottle gourd and bitter gourd as star ingredients. You may include other veggies as you wish. However, I often make with bottle gourd, bitter gourd, potato, and cucumber.

Recipe
Bottle gourd (Lauki)- 1 medium size
Potatoes-3
Cucumber (kheera) - 1 (optional)
Bitter gourd (karela)-1
Mustard seeds (soaked) - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds (soaked) - 2 tsp
Green chilly/red chilly
Panch Phoron - 1/2 tsp (a blend of equal proportions of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds)
Mustard Oil- 1 tsp
Ginger -1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Sugar- 2 pinches

Process

  1. Cut bottle gourd, potatoes, and cucumber in small pieces and boil with little water. Add salt+ turmeric.(2 whistles will do).
  2. Soak mustard seeds and poppy seeds in 1 tbsp of water for an hour (water should be just enough to soak the seeds. we do not want more water). After an hour or two, grind mustard+poppy+green chilly/red chilly together. Set aside.
  3. Take little oil and stir fry bitter gourd. (Sometimes I skip adding bitter gourd, though this is a must-have for a traditional poshto recipe.
  4. Take oil in a pan.
  5. Add panch phoron. Let it splutter.
  6. Add grated/ground ginger. Stir fry.
  7. Add mustard+poppy paste and fry very well.
  8. Add little water and keep stirring.
  9. Add sugar.
  10. Add boiled veggies and stir well.
  11. Keep stirring.
  12. Add little water. You can add the water used for boiling the veggies.
  13. Mix well. Stir for 5 mins until water evaporates. If you want to keep it watery, do not let the whole water evaporate.
  14. Add fried bitter gourd and mix well.
  15. Switch off the flame. Enjoy with steamed rice. I can have this soul-pleasing food with roti (Indian flat bread).
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Making Dahi Without Starter | बिना जामन के दही | How to Make Curd at Home Without Curd

Ever imagines how to make curd without curd (with almonds) बिना जामन के दही ? Well, I am sure such use of almonds as a curd starter is nowhere in your thoughts, right? Perhaps we are not used to thinking on these lines until it happens incidentally and you want to share your experiment with others. I am happy to say that I have experimented with making curd without starter and it gives me creamy and sweet curd. बिना जामन के दही | How to Make Curd at Home Without Curd A Little About my Curd Love Give me a bowl of rich, creamy curd and I do not need anything else on my dining table. Perhaps as a Punjabi, born and brought up into a Punjabi family, I have that special love and fondness for curd. My parents have inculcated in me good eating habits - home food is the best, they would day, preach and practice. This has become ingrained in my thoughts. I detest outside food, and yes, I dub it as market junk. One reason I love all homemade stuff - mommade food is the best. But w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is Tandoori roti good for health [NO, it Isn't But I eat soft oil-free wheat tandoori chapatis daily]

Tandoori roti is delicious and quite addictive too, but is it good for your health?Is there something called tandoori roti health risk? Yes and no.  Yes, if you order it outside.  What is tandoori roti made up of? The reason these Indian flatbreads have earned a bad reputation is that they are made with maida or refined flour, which is only empty calories. Then they use dalda or hydrogenated fat to make the roti soft. remember, tandoori roti is an addiction and I am addicted to it but one made at home with wholesome ingredients.  How to make tandoori roti at home At home, making quick tandoori roti on tawa is a breeze!   so here's how I do it to avoid all the health risks associated with restaurant tandoori roti. we can easily make soft atta tandoori roti on tawa too. yes, tandoor cooking is good but maida isn't.  start by adding water to a bowl. throw in methi powder and flaxmeal. You can skip both if you want. but I suggest adding the two ingredients in y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Carrot Kanji Recipe [Indian Probiotic Drink for A Healthy Gut, Digestive Recipe]

  Red Carrot Kanji Recipe| Carrot Kombucha (Gajar Ki Kanji Benefits Gut, Digestive Health) This red carrot kanji recipe takes inspiration from Deepti Agarwal's black carrot kanji recipe, which is her nani's recipe. Here's my trial with kanji..I have made it with red carrot alone. Yes, the Punjaban in me loved the spicy & tangy probiotic. Super yum and Healthy Thanks dear for inspiring me to try the gut-friendly drink. homemade red carrot kanji recipe indian probiotic Is Carrot Kanji good for health and how do you make red carrot kanji at home? Here's presenting lal gajar ki kanji recipe inspired by my dear friend Deepti Aggarwal's black carrot kanji recipe, which is her heirloom recipe and has been in her family for generations. Is Kanji alcoholic? No, fruit turns into alcohol if it is left in a bath of water enclosed in a jar. Here we are not closing the lid; rather, tying a cloth for oxygen inflow, which prevents kanji from becoming alcoholic. What is Kanji ma...
Post a Comment
Read more