Vegetarian Recipe: Sukto

Sukto is a Bengali recipe made with a mix of vegetables with least number of spices and has an amazing flavour. Mostly the prime vegetable in the recipe is bitter gourd or karela,stop making the faces and try this at home.

Sukto

Ingredients:
2 medium sized Bittergourd or karela, cut into chips
1 cup cubes of pumpkin
1 brinjal or eggplant cut into cubes
2-3 drumsticks cut into 2inch pieces
Other veggies which can be used are raw papaya, potato, bottlegourd etc.
1 teaspoon Panch phoron (a mix of whole cummin seeds, mustard seeds, kallonji or kalo jeera (nigella sativa), saunf, fenugreek or methi seeds)
1/2 teaspoon asfoetida or hing
milk 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon flour
Mustard oil
Ghee
Salt to taste

Procedure:
1. Pour 1 tablespoon mustard oil in a heated frying pan, once the oil is heated add the cut bittergourd in to the pan, cook till it iss light golden in color, take it out and keep it aside.
2. Pour a little more oil & add a teaspoon of ghee. Add the panchphoron and hing to it and later add the rest of the vegetables to the pan. Cook for sometime covering the pan.
3. Add the salt after the vegetables are little softer & add some water to it, let it cook for some more time. Add the bittergourd also after some time.
4. After the vegetables are fully cooked around 20 min later, add the mix of milk and flour (can be whole wheat or refined).
5. Once the mixture boils properly, you can turn off the gas.

The dish is best served as the starting item in the menu with rice.

Recipe: Dahi Prawns

Have a good Saturday night with my new recipe!

Dahi Prawns:

Ingredients

200 g DVC prawns (de-veined and cleaned)

200 g Dahi or yogurt

1 medium onion

2 cloves of garlic

Green chilli

Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon

Kashmiri Chilli powder 1 teaspoon

1 green cardamom

An inch of cinnamon

Salt and sugar to taste

Mustard oil to cook

Procedure:

1. Chop the onion, garlic & chillis and keep it aside.

2. Wash the prawns and put some turmeric powder & salt. Mix it well & fry in mustard oil till golden in color.

3. Keep the fried prawns aside, in a frying pan pour a tablespoon mustard oil. Heat it & add the crushed cardamomand cinnamon with chopped onion, garlic & green chilli.

4. Once the onion is light brown in color add the yogurt. Mix it well & add a little turmeric powder and the chilli powder. Let it cook for a few minutes before adding the prawns.

5. After adding the prawns add salt and sugar (just a few crystals if you like). Let it cook till the gravy is semi-dry.

6. The dish is ready to be served with rice or roti.

Note: If allergic to sea-food please don't try this.