Bengali Shukto
Shukto is a must on any festive Bengali dinner menu. It has a slight bitterness balanced with the sweetness of sugar. If you are not up for this, try a Panch Phoron recipe from our website. Panch Phoron is a Bengali five-spice blend. It's always used whole. The seeds are fried in oil until they pop and release their aromatic flavor.
Ingredients
Protein - Optional
- 1 lb chicken thighs or breast cut into 1-inch pieces
Fresh Produce
- 1 large potato
- 1 large turnip see notes
- 1 medium zucchini or squash
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 cup green beans
Staples Group 1: Liquid, Dairy, Fat
- 1 cup milk
- oil
Staples Group 2: Salty, Sour, Sweet
- salt and pepper
- sugar
Staples Group 3: Breading, Onion & Co
- 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
Suggested Sides
- cooked rice recommended: Basmati
- flat bread naan or chapati
Culinary Spice Kit
- 1 pouch Shukto [1] seeds Panch Phoron: Cumin, fennel, fenugreek, brown and yellow mustard, nigella seeds
- 1 pouch Shukto [2] spice blend Yellow and brown mustard, ajowan, bay leaves
Instructions
Rice
- If using rice, cook rice according to package instructions.
Prepare
- Cut all vegetables into bite-size pieces.
Fry
- In a large PAN, heat 6 tbsp oil.
- Add Shukto [1] spices and ginger. Stir-fry 30 seconds until seeds start to pop.
- Optional: Add chicken and salt to taste. Fry until all sides turn slightly brown.
- Add potato, turnip, and salt to taste. Fry until they turn slightly brown.
- Add all remaining vegetables and salt to taste. Fry until they turn slightly brown.
Cook
- In a small CUP, dissolve Shukto [2] spices in 2 tbsp of water.
- Add this spice paste and 1 cup of milk to the PAN. Cover. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes until vegetables and optional chicken are cooked.
- Add 1-3 tsp sugar to taste.
- Serve with rice or bread. Enjoy!