BM# 63: Journey through the Cuisines
Week 1: Bengali Cuisine
Day 3: C for Charchari (Bengali Mixed Vegetable Curry)
It is an easy to make mixed vegetable dish and from the different recipes I found online, each family has it's own way of making this humble dish. Each version had a slightly different veggie used and some used mustard paste while some didn't. I followed Sandeepa's recipe to make my Charchari, except for the addition of mustard paste which I omitted.
Crumbled Bengali boris or vadis are added on top while serving, but I didn't have any, so skipped them. Serve this dish with rice or roti and Bengali Masoor dal for a filling and hearty meal.
Recipe adapted from Sandeepa's Bongmom Cookbook:
Bengali Charchari
Ingredients
- 1 Potato Medium , peeled and diced
- 6 ~ 8 Eggplants Small , chopped
- 1 cup Pumpkin Peeled and diced
- 1 cup Broad beans , chopped
- 2 Drumsticks , chopped (I didn't add this)
- 3 ~ 4 Chilies Green
- 1 tsp Panch Phoron (Bengali spice mix with cumin, fenugreek, mustard, fennel & nigella seeds)
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida Hing or
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- To Taste Salt
- 1 ~ 2 tsps Sugar (optional)
- 1 ~ 2 tsps Mustard Oil (optional)
Instructions
- Make sure to chop all the veggies approximately the same size.
- Steam or microwave the veggies until fork tender. Keep ready.
- Heat 3tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the panch phoron and hing; once the seeds start to splutter, add the green chilies and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the steamed veggies, season with salt and sugar (if using) and mix well.
- Cook till all of the water from the veggies completely evaporates and the veggies are completely cooked through and dry.
- Drizzle mustard seeds, if using, and take it off the heat. Serve with rice or just as is.
- Sprinkle with fried vadis on top before serving.
rajani
I guess every place has its own throw it all in kind of dish. Except for the absence of coconut it is kind of like our koottu!
veena krishnakumar
This sound very delicious. Lovely clicks
Nisha Sundar
Pavani, the clicks are adorable! The veggies look so nice.
Larry D. Wheeler
Nice cooking