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Bengali shukto recipe
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Shukto | শুক্তো

The traditional Bengali Shukto recipe is a culinary genius of Bengali niramish ranna (pure vegetarian cooking). It is a delicate mix of vegetables cooked in a creamy, milk-based gravy that balances subtle bitterness with a hint of sweetness.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Bengali
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword Aubergine Recipes, Bengali Food, Bengali Vegetarian Recipes, Bitter Gourd Recipes, Eggplant Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Niramish Ranna, Potato Recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Heavy bottom Non-stick Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 Bitter Gourd
  • 1 Potato
  • 1 Aubergine or Eggplant
  • ¼ Green Papaya
  • 1 Green Banana
  • 7-8 French Beans
  • ½ tsp Panchphoron
  • 1 tbsp Ginger paste
  • ½ cup Milk
  • 2 Bay Leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tbsp Sugar
  • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds or Shorshe
  • ½ tsp Saunf or Mouri or Fennel Seeds
  • ¼ tsp Radhuni or Wild Celery Seeds or Ajmod
  • 2 tbsp Ghee or Clarrified Butter
  • 3 tbsp Mustard Oil to cook
  • ¼ cup Kolai dal er Bori

Instructions

  • Heat some oil in a pan and fry the bori till golden. Take them out. Next, fry the sliced bitter guard and take them out.
    3 tbsp Mustard Oil to cook, ¼ cup Kolai dal er Bori, 1 Bitter Gourd
  • In the meantime, dice the vegetables into large pieces.
  • Heat some oil in a pressure cooker. Temper it with some Panchphoron and a Bay leaf.
    ½ tsp Panchphoron, 2 Bay Leaf
  • Now, put in the veggies that have been cut. Give them a gentle stir for the next 5-7 minutes. Add the fried Bitter Gourd and mix everything.
    1 Potato, 1 Aubergine or Eggplant, ¼ Green Papaya, 1 Green Banana, 7-8 French Beans, Salt to taste
  • Pour a cup of water and put on the lid. Let it whistle 4-5 times or till the veggies are soft and cooked.
  • Dry roast a teaspoon of mustard seeds (shorshe), fennel seeds (mouri) and half a teaspoon of wild celery seeds (radhuni). Coarsely grind it. Your shukto moshla is ready.
    ½ tsp Mustard Seeds or Shorshe, ½ tsp Saunf or Mouri or Fennel Seeds, ¼ tsp Radhuni or Wild Celery Seeds or Ajmod
  • Open the lid and put it on medium heat. Mix the milk, ginger paste, sugar and shukto moshla. Pour this mix into the cooked vegetables. Add back the fried bitter gourd. Stir everything vigorously and mash a few pieces of veggies with the back of your spoon. The consistency should be that of a light gravy just covering the veggies, but not runny at all.
    1 tbsp Ginger paste, ½ cup Milk, ½ tbsp Sugar
  • Serve it hot with some ghee and fried bori on top.
    2 tbsp Ghee or Clarrified Butter