Sukto is a traditional Bengali dish made many vegetables & at least one bitter vegetable with a pinch of sugar to adjust the bitterness. Without this typical Bengali menu is just incomplete. It is very popular in Bangladesh & West Bengal district in India.
Ingredients for preparing Sukto:
- Bitter gourd : 100 gm (sliced)
- Potato : 1 piece (boiled & sliced)
- Brinjal/Eggplant : 1 piece (sliced)
- Radish : 1 piece (sliced)
- Raw banana (plantain) : 1 piece (sliced)
- Flat beans : 50 gm (cut out the two end points)
- Yard long beans/barbatti : 100 gm (cut into 2†long strips)
- Drumstick : 50 gm (cut into 2†long strips)
- Five spices : ½ tsp
- Whole mustard seeds : ½ tsp
- Mustard seed paste : 2 tbsp
- Ghee/clarified butter : 1 tbsp
- Oil : 9 tbsp
- Bori : 50 gm
- Dry red chilli : 1 piece
- Bay leaf : 1 piece
- Salt : to taste
- Sugar : ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder : ½ tsp
- Ginger paste : 1 tbsp
Procedure for preparing Sukto:
- Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a wok.
- Add bori to the oil. Fry till brown.
- Take out the bori. Keep aside.
- Add more 4 tbsp of oil.
- Add bitter gourd. Fry till golden brown.
- Take out & keep aside.
- Add raw banana, potato, radish, brinjal, flat beans, long yard beans, drumstick one by one in the rest of the oil. Stir for 3 minutes.
- Add salt, sugar, turmeric powder & ginger paste. Stir well for more 2 minutes.
- Pour 4 cups of water. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove this vegetable mixture from heat & keep aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil & ghee in a separate wok.
- Add bay leaf, dry red chilli, five spices, whole mustard seeds & stir aroma releases.
- Add the vegetable mixture & mustard seed paste.
- Add fried bori & bitter gourd.
- Boil till it thickens.
- Remove from heat & serve sukto with steamed rice.