Bangladesh Vegie Dishes

Masoor Daal
(Lentil)

Ingredients

• masoor daal (lentil) 1 cup
• peya(n)j (onion) 1 medium/sliced
• jiraa (cumin seeds)1/2 tsp.
• halood (turmeric powder) 1/2 tsp.
• laban (salt) to taste 1 tbsp.
• ka(n)chaa lankaa (green chilli) 1

Directions

Wash and boil daal in 2-1/2 cup of water. Mash the daal when completely done. Heat 3 tbsp. of oil. Roast cumin seeds until red Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown

Pour the mashed daal into the wok and add turmeric powder, salt, and green chilli. Let daal simmer for atleast 10 to 15 minutes. The more you simmer, better it tastes. 

Saak-er Ghanto

recipe by Sanhita Mallick

Ingredients

• 1 cup of eggplant, diced
• 1 cup of pumpkin, diced
• 1/2 cup of Potato, diced
• 1/2 cup of radish, diced
• 3 cups of spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of Panchforan
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of mustard paste or powder
• 1 red chilly, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• salt, to taste
• 2tablespoons of oil
• 8-10 pieces of Bori,deepfried, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the red chilly and panchforan .
When the seeds turn brown, add potato and radish. Stirfry for 2 minutes.
Add pumpkin and eggplants and stirfry for a further 2 minutes.
Add the chopped spinach and stirfry the whole mixture for 2-3 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, half cup of water, salt, sugar and mustard paste/powder.
Cook , covered, on medium to low heat until the potato and radish are done.
Mix the deep fried Boris. Serve in room temperature. Note # You can omit or substitute any vegetable that you like. Sweet potatoes, beans etc. also go well.
# Spinach can be substituted with other leafy vegetables- but the amount should be adjusted.
#The dish should be dry- so adjust the amount of water accordingly. 

Fulkopir BaatiJhaal

recipe by Sanhita Mallick

Ingredients

• 1 cup of potato, diced
• 1 cup of cauliflower flowerets, almost similar size as potatoes
• 2 teaspoon of freshly ground mustard paste
• 1 medium size tomato, quartered
• 1 green chilly
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• salt, to taste

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan, and add a cup of water.
Cook covered, on low heat, until the vegetables are done.
Serve in room temperature.
Note:
#This dish should have some gravy- add some more water if needed.

Bengali Spinach

recipe by Swagato BasuMallick.

Ingredients

(for a serving size of 4-5)

• 2 packets frozen spinach, thawed
• 1" cube of ginger, finely diced
• Shukhno lonka (dry red chilli) - 3
• Dash of Hing (Asafoetida)
• Potatoes - about 4 medium-large ones
• Kasoori Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• Mouri/Saunf (Fennel seeds)
• Salt to taste

Directions

Cut the potatoes into small pieces, and then either lightly boil them or microwave them for about 8 min. Heat oil, preferably in a wok or kAdAi. To the hot oil, add ginger, hing, and fennel seeds. Add the spinach, and fry on a high flame. After about 5 min of frying, add salt, the dried chillies, and the potatoes. Mix evenly, and add the kasoori methi - then fry for a few minutes. At this point, you might add a little water if you so desire.

Serve hot and enjoy !! 

Shukto

This recipe is submitted by Krishna Ghosh

Ingredients

• kaachkola(plantain ) 1
• mulo(radish/daikon) 1 cup
• aloo(potato) 1 medium
• begun(eggplant) 1 medium
• uchche(bittergourd) 1 (slice thinly)
• shorshe(mustard seeds) 1-1/2 tbsp.
• methi(fenugreek seeds) 1/2 tsp.
• posto(poppy seeds) 2 tbsp.
• salt to taste 1 tbsp.

Directions

Soak 1 tbsp. of each mustard seeds and poppy seeds in warm water. Cut plantain, radish, potato and eggplant lengthwise (about 2" long). Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a wok. Fry the eggplant pieces, set aside. Fry the bittergourd slices, and set aside. In the remaining oil, roast 1/2 tsp. each of fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add to it the plantain, radish(mulo), and potato and stir fry in medium heat.

As you stir the vegetables, blend the soaked mustard seeds and poppy seeds and about 1" long fresh ginger root, all in a blender into a smooth paste. After stir frying vegetables for about 5 to 7 minutes, add the blended mixture to the vegetables and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Add salt. Also, add the fried bittergourd slices and eggplant pieces. Add now to the "shukto" about 1/2 cup of hot water and cover wok for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally and check if the vegetables are cooked or not. When vegetables are all cooked, pour on top about 1 tsp. of either butter or ghee. Serve with rice.

Pineapple Chutney

(for a serving size of 8 - cooking time : 45 mins)

• 2 medium pineapples
• 2 kashmire chillies
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 ginger piece 2" chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
  100 gms dates or dried apricot finely chopped
• Large pinch of panch phoron (aniseed, cummin seed, mustard seed, onion seed & fenugreek seeds)

Directions

Heat a tbsp of oil and season with panch phoron and kashmiri chillies. Add the pineapple and cook on full heat. Add chopped dates or apricots, chopped ginger, sugar and salt. Cook until the pineapple cubes are soft. Add lime juice when cooked. 

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized ripe tomatos,each cut into 12-16 pieces
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of slivered ginger,
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions

Add the sugar and ginger to tomato pieces.
Transfer this mixture to a pan, and cook, on low to medium heat until the tomatos are thoroughly cooked.
Add lemon juice. Serve in room temperature, or cold.
Note# Adjust sugar according to your taste.
# Add a few spoons of water ONLY if the chutney becomes too dry.

Cherry Chutney(1)

Ingredients

• 25-30 sweet sour cherries,washed and dried
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chilli,halved
• 2-4 tablespoon of sugar
• a pinch of salt

Directions

Heat oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds and chilli.
Once the seeds atart to sputter, add the cherries.
Stir for one or two minutes, and add a cup of water.
Add salt and sugar.
Let cook on low to moderate heat until the cherries are done.
Serve at room temperature.

Note#This chutney should have some gravy- adjust the water accordingly.
#Adjust sugar according to the sweetness of cherries and your taste.
#Adjust chilli according to taste.
#Substitute Topa Kool for Cherries if you can get it. In this case, the chutney will be slippery to the touch. 

Cherry Chutney(2)

Ingredients

• 25-30 sweet-sour cherries,washed and dried
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/3 teaspoon garlic paste
• 3-5 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 dried red chilli, sliced

Directions

Boil the vinegar and water in a pan.
Add ginger, garlic and red chilli to it.
When the mixture starts to boil, add the cherries.
Add salt and sugar.

Let it cook on low to medium heat until the cherries soak all the vinegar and are done.
Note#Adjust sugar according to the sweetness of cherries and your taste.
#Adjust chilli according to taste.
#Substitute Topa Kool for Cherries if you can get it. 

Kiwi Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 firm Kiwi fruits,peeled and each cut into 6-8 wedges
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• i tablespoon of oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• a pinch of turmeric

Directions

Heat oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start to sputter, add the kiwi fruits and stir for a minute. Add half a cup of water,sugar and turmeric. Cover and let cook on low to moderate heat until the kiwis are done. Serve in room temperature.Note#Adjust sugar according to taste.