Shukto/Shuktoni

Ingredients

For mustard paste

For Tempering

For seasoning

Salt as per taste
2-2.5 cups of water for cooking the Shukto

Directions

Preparing the vegetables

1. Wash all the vegetable thoroughly.
2. Remove the skin of each of the vegetable (except the eggplant) and cut them into medium-sized chunks. Peel the drumstick and cut it into inch-long pieces.

Preparing the mustard paste

1. Take a small bowl and fill it with ½ cup lukewarm water. Add the poppy seeds and the mustard seeds to it. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Once the seeds have softened, drain the excess water and make a smooth paste. Do not over grind the seeds otherwise the mixture would turn bitter.

Tempering

1. Heat mustard oil a pan.
2. Mix salt along with turmeric powder and apply it to the eggplant. Add the eggplant to the oil on medium flame.
3. Fry the eggplant till it softens and remove it.
4. In the same oil, fry the bitter gourd chunks along with some salt and turmeric.
5. Once done, remove the bitter gourd.
6. In the same oil fry, the bori with some salt (adding bori is optional).
7. Once fried, strain the oil and keep the bori aside.
8. Keep the same oil for tempering. If the oil is burnt, add fresh mustard oil and heat it.
9. Now add the bay leaves, panch phoran and randhuni. Cook for less than a minute on medium heat.
10. Add the potato, sweet potato and radish. These vegetables have almost the same cooking time. Thus, we can fry them together.
11. After these vegetables are a little cooked, add the beans and cook for a minute.
12. Next add the drumsticks and cook for another minute.
13. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger paste and 2-3 tablespoons of mustard and poppy seed-paste to the vegetables.
14. Mix gently and cook for a minute
15. Add 1 cup of milk and let it simmer.
16. Mix turmeric powder, sugar and salt. Cook for a minute.
17. When the gravy starts to boil, add 2 cups of water. Let it come to a boil on high heat and then lower the flame. Cook with lid on for 7 to 8 minutes.
18. As the gravy thickens, add the bitter gourd.
19. Next add the eggplant and gently mix.
20. If the gravy has dried, add another ½ cup of water and bring it to a boil. Adjust the salt and spices if needed.
21. Lastly, add the fried bori and cook for a minute.
22. Once the shukto has come to a boil and the gravy has thickened, add 2 teaspoons ghee.
23. Give the shukto a mix and remove from the flame.