Authentic Bengali Shukto

Preparation time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

A variety of left over raw vegetables can be used like papaya, potato, brinjal, raw geen bananas, carrots, raddish.
Here i will be using:
karela/bittergourd: 2 medium sized finely sliced in round shapes
drumstick (daanta in bengali): 2 sticks cut in 3 inch size
sliced raw papaya: 1/4th papaya
sliced brinjal pieces: 1/4th brinjal sliced into pieces
sliced potatoes : 1 medium sized
few beans chopped
raw green banana: 2 medium sized, peeled and sliced into thin long pieces.
vadi : 6-7 of moong dal

Please note: For Shukto, vegetables are usually sliced thin & long.

Bay leaf: 2
poppy seed paste with 3 green chillies: 3 tbsp
mustard seed paste: 2 tbsp
milk: 1 small cup (180-200 ml)
green chillies: 2 slit
panch foron ( a mix of cumin,methi,onion seeds,saunf & mustard): 1 tbsp
dry red chillies: 2
Mustard Sunflower oil: 4 tbsp
salt & sugar to taste

Method:

1. Add oil in a big wok/kadai & fry the thinly round sliced karelas till brownish in colour. remove & keep aside.
2. Add little more oil, fry the vadis till brownish and remove them & keep aside.
3. now in the same wok, fry the drumsticks and remove them & keep aside.
4. Add little more oil & fry all the vegetables for 2 min.till they turn light brown in colour. Remove & keep them aside.
5. Then add little more oil in the wok, add paanch foron & dry red chillies & bay leaf. stir them for 30 seconds, then add all the chopped vegetables.
6. Stir them well and simmer & cover for 2 mins. Since they are fried before so they dont take much time
7. Then add water and cover it with a lid for another 4 mins.
8. Then add all the fried vegetable like karela, drumsticks, vadi. Mix well and again cover 
9. Then add salt, sugar, mustard paste,poppy seed paste, slit green chillies & milk. Mix well and cover in low flame for 2 mins.
10. Mix them well stir them without the lid for 2 more mins. 
11. switch off the gas and the "Shukto" is now ready to be served. Tastes awesome with rice & moong dal.