What is Ghonto in Bengali Cuisine?

In Bengali cuisine, Ghonto refers to a semi-mashed mixed-veg dish. We mostly temper Ghonto with Panch Phoron, a blend of five different spices.

What exactly is Palong Shaker Ghonto?

Essentially, it is a vegetarian dish that is made with a variety of different vegetables, including eggplant, radish, potato, and more. However, the true star of the dish is the spinach. Spinach aka Palong Shak adds a rich and earthy flavor profile that perfectly complements the other ingredients.

What varieties can i introduce while cooking a Bengali Ghonto?

One of the things that I love about this dish is that you can really make it your own by adding your own personal touches. For example, I like to use radish leaves along with the spinach to give the dish an extra burst of flavor. While this is completely optional, I highly recommend it if you want to take your Ghonto to the next level.

Palong Shaker Ghonto

Name: Palong Shaker Ghonto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients: 500g Spinach; 2 Potato (big); 1 Eggplant (big); 1 Radish; 3 Radish Leaf (optional); 100g Pumpkin; 1 Tsp. Panch Phoron (Whole); 4 Dry Red Chili; 1 Tsp. Panch Phoron (Powder); 1 Tsp. Red chili powder; 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder; 1 Tsp. Sugar (optional); 1 Tsp. Salt or to taste; 15 Bori/ Sun-dried lentil dumplings; 3 Tbsp. Mustard Oil

Description

Palong Shaker Ghonto is a delightful medley of ingredients including Spinach, Potato, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Radish, and crispy lentil dumplings called Bori, all cooked in the traditional Bengali style and seasoned with Panch Phoron.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Veggies

500g Spinach
2 Potato (big)
1 Eggplant (big)
1 Radish
3 Radish Leaf (optional)
100g Pumpkin

Tempering

1 Tsp. Panch Phoron (Whole)
4 Dry Red Chili

Spices and others

1 Tsp. Panch Phoron (Powder)
1 Tsp. Red chili powder
1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp. Sugar (optional)
1 Tsp. Salt or to taste
15 Bori/ Sun-dried lentil dumplings
3 Tbsp. Mustard Oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Start by peeling and cubing all the vegetables, except for the spinach. For the spinach, either blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes or microwave it for a quick minute. Personally, I find the microwave method ideal for green veggies.
Don't forget to do the same with the Radish leaves.
Heat up some oil in a pan and fry the Bori, those wonderful sun-dried lentil dumplings.
In the same oil, temper it with cracked red chili and the magical Panch Phoron, allowing the spices to sizzle and release their flavors.
Next, add the potatoes and sauté them on medium flame for 5 minutes.
Now it's time to add the other vegetables, excluding the spinach and Radish leaves.
Cover the pan and let the veggies cook until they become tender and soft.
Sprinkle in Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder, Panch Phoron Powder, sugar, and salt. Give it a good sauté for about 5 minutes.
Finally, introduce the chopped spinach and Radish leaves to the mix, ensuring they blend well with the rest of the veggies.
Cover the pan again and let it cook on low flame for another 8-10 minutes. This allows the vegetables to release their moisture and become even more tender.
Don't forget to add the fried Bori in between for that extra touch of flavor and texture.
Once done, remove the heavenly mix-veg, or Bengali Palong Shaker Ghonto, from the flame and serve it piping hot with Khichuri or Steamed Rice and Dal.

Notes

Sugar is optional however it balances the flavors.
You have the option to substitute any other oil in place of Mustard oil, but the strong taste of mustard oil adds more flavor to ghonto.
Including radish leaves is not mandatory, but they provide a wonderful taste to the dish. If you don't like radish, you can omit them.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Category: Side Dish
Method: Cooking
Cuisine: Bengali

Nutrition

Serving Size: 65g
Calories: 213
Sugar: 5.3g
Sodium: 294mg
Fat: 9.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 28.6g
Fiber: 10g
Protein: 7.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg