Shukto a Bengali delicacy | Bengali Mix-veg Shukto Recipe

Shukto, a renowned Bengali dish, is a delectable curry crafted from an assortment of vegetables. It is customary to commence a traditional Bengali feast with a serving of rice accompanied by the flavorsome shukto aka shuktoni.

"ছি ছি ছি রানী রাঁধতে শেখেনি... শুক্তনিতে ঝাল দিয়েছে অম্বলেতে ঘি!"

This renowned Bengali melody illustrates the art of preparing Shukto flawlessly! What other introduction could I have chosen for this post? When translated, the song goes as follows: Rani lacks culinary expertise; she mistakenly adds chili to Shuktoni/Shukto and ghee to Ambal/Chutney! It is evident from the song that chili is strictly forbidden in Shukto. Is it so? Read ahead and find!

Some tricks for cooking perfect shukto- Ingredients you shouldn't miss

Oh, and let me tell you, I always like to add a touch of dried Red Chili to my Shukto. It's become a bit of a tradition for me whenever I make Shukto or Shuktoni. It's funny, because I can't really cook anything else besides Shukto! My father has this belief that a Bengali chef's skill is measured by their ability to prepare Shukto. It may sound silly, but sometimes we just have to go along with our parents, don't we?

Why Shuktoni? Variations of Shukto

Believe it or not, my parents judge one's cooking prowess based on their ability to masterfully prepare Shukto. This fact always leaves me feeling anxious whenever I attempt to cook it in my own kitchen. Growing up, I would watch my mother and aunts effortlessly slice and dice vegetables before cooking up a generous portion of Shukto. However, for me, the process of making Shukto is nothing short of laborious. Almost every time I decide to make it for lunch, it becomes the sole dish of the day, with dinner being outsourced from elsewhere. I can't comprehend how my mother manages to prepare it so flawlessly and without creating any chaos in the kitchen! As a precaution, I always make a surplus of Shukto so that my husband can enjoy it for the next couple of days.

Shukto doesn't seem to be a hit at Mehebub's parents' place. The Shukto I tasted there lacked some flavor. Nevertheless, my Mother-in-law excels in preparing other delectable dishes such as Aande ka Halwa or Masoor Dal with Malabar Spinach, among others.

Bengali Shukto Video Recipe

Bengali Shukto - Ingredients

In our Bengali culture, we hold Shukto in high regard, reserving it for special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. However, it is strictly a lunchtime delicacy. This unique vegetarian dish combines a medley of vegetables, including Bitter Guard, Eggplant, Green Banana, Potato, Sweet potato, Drumsticks, White radish, and Hyacinth Beans. To add an extra touch of flavor, many Bengalis, myself included, opt for the exclusive spice known as "Randhuni" when preparing Shukto. Personally, I make sure to stock up on Randhuni during my visits to Kolkata, ensuring I always have it on hand for future cooking endeavors.

Here's how I cook Bengali Shukto aka Shuktoni at Debjanir Rannaghar!

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Shukto a Bengali delicacy

Shukto, a renowned Bengali dish, is prepared by combining a medley of vegetables. Typically, in a customary Bengali feast, our culinary journey commences with a serving of rice accompanied by shukto aka shuktoni.

Course Side Dish, Veg

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword Bengali Shukto recipe, bengali shuktoni recipe, Debjanir Rannaghar, Shukto recipe, shukto recipe video

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Portions

Calories 323kcal

Author Debjani Chatterjee Alam

Cost Rs 200

Equipment

• 1 Chopping Board
• 1 Knife or, bonti
• 1 Kadhai
• 1 Spatula
• 1 Lid
• 3-4 Bowls

Ingredients

• 4 Uchche/ Bitter Gourd
• 1 Begun / Eggplants
• 1 Kanchkola/ Plaintain/ Raw Cooking Banana Small
• 2 Potato/ Aloo Medium
• 2 Sweet Potato/ Ranga Aloo/ Sakkar Kandi Small
• 2 Drumsticks/ Danta/ Danthal
• 1 White radish/ Mulo/ Mooli
• 5 Sheem/ Hyacinth Beans
• 10-15 Bori/ Sun-dried lentil Dumplings
• 2 Tbsp. Poppy seeds/ Khuskhus/Posto
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard Seed
• 1 Tbsp. Ginger paste
• 1 Tsp. Panchphoran/ Bengali Five Spices
• 2 Tsp. Randhuni optional
• 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder optional
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 4 Tbsp. Mustard Oil for Frying and Tempering
• 1 Tbsp. Ghee/clarified butter
• 1 Cup Milk
• 4 cup Water

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Instructions

• 
• Soak both Mustard Seed and Poppy seed in water for 10 minutes.
• Make a smooth paste of Poppyseed and Mustard Seed separately using a food processor or Shil Nora (Shil Batta).
• Strain the mixture to remove the husk.
• Crush 1Tsp. Randhuni. Use 1 Tsp. whole Randhuni as tempering.
• Wash all the veggies.
• Cut Bitter Gourd, Eggplant, Green Banana, Potato, Sweet potato, White radish, and Hyacinth Beans into rectangular strips ( ½") and Drumsticks into 2" long strips after peeling the outer skin of each veggie except Eggplant.
• Heat Mustard Oil in a Wok.
• Now sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder over the pieces of Eggplant and fry in the remaining oil.
• After that fry Bitter gourd.
• Now fry Bari in medium flame and strain from oil.
• Temper remaining oil with Panchphoron and Randhuni.
• Now fry Green Banana, Potato, and Sweet potato, Drumsticks, White radish, and Hyacinth Beans one by one.
• Do not strain the veggies from the pan from now on.
• Add the Ginger paste and cook for 1-2 minutes and add Poppy seed paste and Mustard paste and again cook for around 2 minutes.
• Add Turmeric Powder (optional), Salt and Sugar again cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Now add milk and water to the Spice mix and bring it to boil.
• Add all the fried veggies along with raw Drumstick and cover the wok with a lid.
• Cook for around 8-10 minutes on low flame or till the veggies cooked properly.
• Check the water level and if required add some more water since Shukto should have sufficient gravy.
• Now add crushed Randhuni.
• Add Ghee to the Curry and boil for around 2 minutes and switch the flame off.
• Shukto is ready to serve.
• Serve it hot with steamed rice to initiate the meal.
• 

Video

Notes

• Cut all the veggies except drumsticks in equal size.
  Panchphoron is a mixture of Nigella, Cumin Seed, Fenugreek, Fennel, and mustard seeds in equal proportion.
• You may use only Mustard seed instead of Panch Phoron.
• Turmeric Powder is optional however, I am allergic to Eggplant and hence I prefer to add it
• Randhuni is a close relative of Celery Seed. In Bengali cuisine, Randhuni is used for tempering the oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.7g | Protein: 8.9g | Fat: 14.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 428mg | Fiber: 11.6g | Sugar: 12.6g

Other Bengali No Onion No garlic Preparations apart from Shukto from Debjanir Rannaghar

• Narkel diye Niramish Ghugni (Also known as Bengali Ghugni or Yellow Peas Curry)
• Phulkopir Singara (also known as Kolkata style Fulkopir Shingara)
• Bori Aloor Jhal (Also known as Bengali Bori’r Jhal)
• Lau Shaker Chorchori (Also known as Bengali Vegetarian Mishmash with Bottle Gourd Greens)
• Katoya Data Chorchori (Also known as Bengali Style Mix-veg with Drumsticks)
• Papor er Dalna (Also known as Bengali Papad Curry)
• Sheemer Jhal (Also known as Bengali Shorshe Sheem or Broad Bean Curry with Mustard Paste)
• Panch Mishali Tarkari (Also known as Panch Mishili Torkari)
• Phulkopir Roast (Also known as Bengali Roasted Cauliflower)
• Lau ar Aloo er Khosa Bhaja (Also known as Stir-Fried Bottle Gourd and Potato Skin/ Peel )
• Narkel diye Cholar Dal (Also known as Bengali Cholar Dal)

More Bengali Veg Recipes

• Chanar Dalna (also known as Bengali Cottage Cheese and Potato Curry)
• Kumror Chakka (Also known as Bengali Pumpkin curry)
• Aloo Phulkopir Dalna (Also known as Bengali Potato and Cauliflower Curry)
• Rosogollar Dalna (Also known as Bengali Rasgulla Curry)
• Sada Aloo Chorchori (also known as Bengali Potato Curry)
• Lomba Dantiwala Begun Bhaja (Bengali fried Eggplant)
• Bengali Kolai Dal (Also known as Biulir Dal or Bengali Urad Dal)
• Postor Bora (Also known as Bengali Poppy Seed Fritters)
• Aloo Posto (Also known as Bengali Poppy Seed curry with potato)
• Gota Sheddho (Also known as Bengali Veggie Cold soup Gota)
• Kancha Aamer Chutney (Also known as Bengali Raw mango chutney)
• Dhokar Dalna (also known as Bengali Lentil Cake Curry)
• Paneer er Dalna (also known as Niramish Paneer Torkari)
• Niramish Bhuni Khichuri (also known as Bengali Bhuni Khichuri)
• Neem Begun (also known as Bengali nim Begun Bhaji)
• Chana Bhapa (also known ad Bengali Bhapa Chenna)

Have you tried the Shukto Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!

Please inform me of your experience and feel free to send a photo to dolonchttrj@gmail.com. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.

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About Debjani Chatterjee Alam

I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.

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