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!
Notes
Variation:
Substitute turnip with daikon or 1 bunch radish. Substitute one of the vegetables with 1 plantain or 1 sweet potato.
Marceline Reid-Jaques
2022-12-14
Karen Jones
2022-12-05
Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!
ann davis
2022-11-29
My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.
Jessica Brown
2022-05-22
The best way to try new dishes!