Shorshe Posto Dharosh, also known as Shorshe-Posto Bhindi, is a comforting Bengali dish. It's basically okra or lady's finger cooked in a paste made from mustard and poppy seeds - that's the "Shorshe-posto bata" part.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note
- About this dish
- A Bengali Vegan Meal Plan
- Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe Card
- Substitution
- Tips
- Serving Suggestion
- Related Recipes
- Those must-have lists I mentioned above
- Have you tried the Shorshe Posto Dharosh recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Shorshe-Posto Bhindi recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note
Yup, another mustardy dish from Debjanir Rannaghar, and it's another super-tasty Bengali vegetarian dish. This time, it's just a simple Shorshe-Posto Bhindi or Shorshe Posto Dharosh. It's got a tangy sauce made with mustard and poppy seed paste, lots of tomatoes, green chilies, and mustard oil. You can add onion if you want, but you don't have to. I actually used some leftover onion-poppy seed paste for this okra dish. So, that pretty much covers the stuff you need and what you can swap!
So, why this sudden okra and mustard dish? Well, I just really wanted to write about something easy and comforting. Especially after spending the last month working on all those big lists of "must-cook" recipes like the 50, 100, or 150 ones. I know those must be helpful for everyone, and I got a bunch of emails about those meal-planning articles, so I was happy to do them. But now, it's time for me to share a recipe for a cozy dish that I just love to eat. It's a simple okra recipe! Oh, and just so you know, Shorshe Posto Dhyarosh is also a Bengali vegan dish.
About this dish
Shorshe Posto Dharosh isn't the runny "dharosh-er jhal" I grew up with, but rather another delightful mustard-based dish, equally good. Like many other vegetable recipes, it was a common feature of our Saturday lunches at home. Lunch, not dinner, because dinners usually consisted of Roti. Therefore, a mustard dish was often enjoyed as part of a hearty rice lunch. However, I also love tangy mustard curries with Roti, such as Bori'r Jhal, Macher Jhal, or Tomato-r Jhal, to name a few.
A Bengali Vegan Meal Plan
So, as I was looking at the pictures for this post, I realized this photo shows a super simple Bengali vegan meal! We've got rice, Masoor Dal - red lentil soup, Laal Shak Bhaja - stir-fried red amaranth, and okra with mustard and poppy seeds. I've actually shared the recipes for everything else already, and you can find the links, but I still need to share the okra curry recipe to make this post complete!
Alright, what's next? Let's get to that recipe!
Instructions
- Making Shorshe-Posto Bata
First, prepare both the mustard and poppy seed pastes for the curry. To do this, soak mustard seeds and poppy seeds separately in water for 15 minutes. Then, add two green chilies to each seed and grind them into a paste, and keep them separately. While grinding, add a quarter teaspoon of salt to each paste. Set these pastes aside.
(A note: I used poppy seed paste that was already mixed with chopped onion, but this is optional. Feel free to skip the onion if you prefer.) - Prep Work
Next, thoroughly wash the okra (Dharosh or bhindi), then remove the stem and tip. Cut each okra into pieces that are 1 to 1.5 inches long. Wash them again, then marinate them with a quarter teaspoon each of salt and turmeric powder before cooking. Roughly cut the tomatoes.
- Cooking
Now, heat four tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan.
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Add the marinated okra and shallow fry it for 3-4 minutes over low heat.
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Once lightly fried, add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything well and cook until the tomatoes soften, which should take about 3 minutes.
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Add 1 teaspoon of red chili powder/ ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, and stir well.
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Now, add the mustard paste and poppy seed paste to the pan and mix everything thoroughly.
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Cook for about 2 minutes, or until you see oil separating at the edges.
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Next, pour in ⅓ cup of water and cook on high heat until all the water has evaporated.
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Once the Shorshe-Posto Bhindi has a semi-thick sauce, add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil and gently mix it in. Turn off the heat.
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Enjoy your Shorshe Posto Dharosh with steamed rice, a simple dal, and bhaja for a classic Bengali meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, okra and ladyfinger are the same. "Lady's fingers" is another name for okra, which is also called "bhindi" in India and "gumbo" in other regions. In Bengali, we call it Dharosh.
Botanically, bhindi/dharosh/okra is a fruit because it grows from a flower and contains seeds. However, when used in cooking, it is considered a vegetable.
Okra has few calories but many nutrients. It has a lot of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Bhindi helps with digestion, lowers cholesterol, and controls blood sugar.
Recipe Card
Shorshe Posto Dharosh Recipe | Bhindi or Okra cooked with mustard and poppy seed paste
Ingredients
- 250 g Bhindi / Dharosh / Okra
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion optional
- 5 green chillies
- 3 tablespoon black mustard seed / Kalo Shorshe
- 3 tablespoon poppy seed / posto
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 5 tablespoon mustard oil
Instructions
- First, prepare both the mustard and poppy seed pastes for the dish.
- Soak mustard seeds and poppy seeds separately in water for 15 minutes.
- Next, add two green chilies to each type of soaked seed and grind them into separate pastes: mustard paste and poppy seed paste.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to each paste as you make them.
- Set the pastes aside.
- I used some poppy seed paste I had already made that contained chopped onion, but this is not necessary. You can leave out the onion if you prefer.
- Clean the bhindi / okra well, then trim off both ends crown and the tip.
- Cut each dharosh into pieces about one to one and a half inches long.
- Wash them again, then season with a quarter teaspoon each of salt and turmeric powder before cooking.
- Chop the tomatoes coarsely.
- Heat four tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan.
- Add the seasoned dharosh and lightly fry them for three to four minutes over low heat.
- Once the bhindi is slightly fried, add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well and cook until the tomatoes become soft, which should take about three minutes.
- Then, stir in 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- Next, put the mustard and poppy seed pastes into the pan and mix well.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, or until oil appears around the edges.
- Afterward, pour in ⅓ cup of water and cook over high heat until all the water is gone.
- When the Shorshe-Posto Bhindi has a somewhat thick sauce, add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil and stir gently.
- Turn off the heat.
- Shorshe Posto Dharosh is ready to serve!
Notes
Substitution
- Always choose fresh, tender okra for this recipe, as over-ripe okra won't work well.
- Regarding the poppy seed paste, I used a pre-made mixture with onion. However, I recommend making it without onion for a better result.
- I added two green chilies to both the mustard paste and the poppy seed paste. You can adjust this amount based on how spicy or mild you prefer your curry.
- For this recipe, I used two large tomatoes, but you can use fewer if you want a lighter dish.
- Mustard oil is essential for giving this dish its characteristic tangy and savory flavor.
- If you dislike strong flavors, simply use an unflavored oil. For a lower-calorie option, feel free to reduce the amount of oil; two tablespoons will still work perfectly well.
Tips
Many people find mustard paste turns bitter. To avoid this, soak the mustard seeds before blending. When using a food processor or grinder, be careful not to over-blend the seeds. The best method is to use a traditional grinding stone (shil nora or shil batta). If you still find the mustard flavor too strong or bitter, mix the paste with some water and then strain it, using only the flavorful water.Serving Suggestion
Enjoy Shorshe Posto Dharosh with plain rice, a basic lentil dish, and fried vegetables for a comforting vegetarian Bengali meal.Nutrition
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Those must-have lists I mentioned above
- Bhai Phota Special Recipes | 150+ Recipe Ideas for Bhai Phonta feast
- Dipanwita Kali Puja Special Recipes | Bengali Recipe Ideas for Kalipujo-r Bhog | Shyama Puja Recipes
- Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Special Recipes | Must-try Bhog Recipes for Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo
- Durga Puja Special Recipes | 100 + Must-try Recipes during Durga Puja - Bengali-style
Have you tried the Shorshe Posto Dharosh recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. 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.
Here's the Shorshe-Posto Bhindi recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
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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