Shukto
- 62 min
- mild
- Serves 4
Shukto, a Bengali curry of bitter gourd, potato, raw banana and pumpkin with mustard paste in a milk gravy. Mild, serves 4, about 60 minutes plus resting.
Ingredients
Bitter Gourd, Thinly Sliced120 grams
Potato, Large Cubes1 cup
Raw Banana, Large Cubes140 grams
Brinjal, Large Cubes1 cup
Yellow Pumpkin, Large Cubes1 cup
Beans, Batons1 cup
Water, For Boiling600 ml
Oil3 tbsp
- Dal Bori (Sun-dried Lentil Dumplings)25 grams
Mustard Seeds1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds1 grams
Cumin½ tsp
Kalonji½ tsp
Fennel Seeds½ tsp
- Radhuni½ tsp
Bay Leaves1 grams
Dry Red Chilli2 grams
Ginger, Paste15 grams
Mustard Paste1 tbsp
Salt1½ tsp
Turmeric Powder1 grams
Milk200 ml
Sugar2 tsp
Ghee1 tbsp
Contains: milk.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 313kcal | 1252kcal |
| Protein | 6.8g | 27g |
| Carbohydrate | 32g | 128g |
| Fat | 19g | 75g |
| Fibre | 6.6g | 26g |
| Sugar | 9g | 36g |
Method
Get ready by washing and cutting the bitter gourd, potato, raw banana, brinjal, pumpkin and beans into long pieces of the same size. Make the ginger paste and keep the mustard paste ready.
Boil the potato and raw banana in 600 ml water on medium flame for 10 minutes until partly cooked but still firm. Drain and keep the cooking water for the gravy.
Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Fry the bori for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and take them out on a plate. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin, kalonji, fennel seeds, radhuni, bay leaf and dry red chilli. Fry for 1 minute until the seeds crackle, but do not let the fenugreek turn dark.
Add the ginger paste and mustard paste. Fry on low flame for 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
Add the bitter gourd, boiled potato, raw banana and 1 teaspoon salt. Fry on medium flame for 5 minutes until the vegetables have a light coating of oil.
Add the brinjal, pumpkin, beans, turmeric and the reserved cooking water. Cover and cook on medium-low flame for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
Add the milk slowly, then add sugar, the fried bori and the remaining salt. Simmer on low flame for 4 minutes until the gravy is lightly thickened. Do not boil hard after adding the milk.
Stir in the ghee and switch off the flame. Rest covered for 5 minutes, then serve warm with rice.
Before you start
- How long does Shukto take?
- 1 hour 2 minutes from start to finish. That is 20 minutes of preparation and 42 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Shukto serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Shukto vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Shukto spicy?
- It is mild: 1 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Shukto?
- 120 grams Bitter Gourd, 1 cup Potato, 140 grams Raw Banana, 1 cup Brinjal, 1 cup Yellow Pumpkin, 1 cup Beans, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Shukto?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Shukto?
- About 313 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
Nobody has shared how this one turned out yet. If you cook it, add a photo and a line for the next person.