Curries & Stories: shukto

It is only mid of April and the temperature in Pune is soaring like crazy. last week however there was some mild relief from the heat due to thundershowers. The beauty of Pune is that once it rains, the mercury plunges quite a bit so even during intense heat spells these occasional rains are giving us the much needed respite. I think all over India it is almost the same situation. Today morning itself i read a news update which said a Doordarshan news anchor fainted during a live telecast due to the heatwave. It happened because of some technical snag the temperature controls were not working in the studio and due to the intense heat her blood pressure plummeted suddenly. I can resonate with the situation, because I have seen such situations in which the ac malfunctioned inside a closed room and the heat and suffocation was worse than being out in the sun where you at least have natural air.

We are trying to be as much hydrated as possible when we are at home or while going out during the afternoon. Also I usually keep a water bowl on the terrace for bigger birds and a small hanging water bowl for smaller ones. Both are earthen bowls which helps keep the water cold. I have seen birds enjoying a good bath in the morning or having a drink throughout the day. I would request everyone to have at least some sort of water bowl in front of their homes or balconies. It will help street animals or birds to be hydrated during these harsh summer days.

When it comes to food, due to the heat I don't feel like eating much especially during the afternoons. I know many people might feel this way. Like always, the summer months call for such foods which are light on the stomach, mildly spiced, mostly of soupy consistency which is easy to digest. More than a lot of oily and spicy non-veg dishes, I crave for simple old school preparations with seasonal vegetables.

It is an age old traditional in Bengali cuisine to start the meal with something bitter or teto. The bitter taste cleanses the palate, aids digestion, and makes subsequent courses taste better. The bitter greens, such as hinche, kalmi, thankuni, and neem, also have medicinal properties. The tradition of eating bitter dishes at the start of a meal is rooted in ancient Ayurvedic dietary practices and medicinal value. The bitter dishes are eaten throughout the year, especially in late spring and early summer to ward off diseases like measles and chickenpox. And just because of that as a kid we were always advised / forced to have bitter dishes like neem pata bhaja or ucche bhaja during the summers. Obviously I hated it back then. But as I grew my palate for bitter also evolved and slowly I took a great liking for bitter dishes like shukto or fish curry with bitter gourd etc.

Shukto is one of the most iconic dishes of the Bengali kitchen is a distinctly bitter stew made with a medley of seasonal vegetable. Shukto can be made with so many different variations just by changing the vegetables in the dish. I have a couple of shukto dishes already in my blog including one with Hilsa.

This time however its not a traditional shukto but a fusion of neem jhol and shukto. Neem leaves are known for their medicinal properties. And they are also tasty when used in the recipe in the right way. A small amount goes a long way in enhancing the flavor and taste. You can also say this recipe is an easier version having all the earthiness of Shukto but with less hassles. So if you want to try out a simpler version of Shukto, do give this dish a try.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Making Time : 20 minutes

Serves - 4-5 adults

Ingredients :

Raw Papaya/ Kacha Pepe - 500 gm
Potato / Aloo - 2 medium
Drumstick - 3 whole
Neem Leaves - 3 sprigs
Bori (sundried lentil dumplings) -10
Black Cumin / Kalo Jeera / Kalonji - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp grated
Milk - 1 cup
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 3 tsp or more as per taste
Water - as needed
Mustard Oil - for tempering

Procedure :

1. Wash and dry the neem leaves a day before. Take out the leaves from the sprig. Now heat a kadai, add 1 tsp of mustard oil, when oil is smoking add the neem leaves, fry on medium heat for 2 minutes till they turn crisp. take care not to burn the leaves. Take out the leaves into a plate and let it cool.

2. In the same oil, fry the boris till they take a light brown hue all around. Take them out in the same plate and let them cool down.

3. Take out the string from the drumsticks and cut into 3-4 cm long pieces. Peel the skin and cut the potato into long segments of same size and shape. Peel the raw papaya and slice them into small half moon shapes, about 5-mm thick.

4. Boil water in a saucepan, once the water is boiling add 1 tsp of salt and drop the cut papaya pieces. Cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Drain the water and keep the papaya to cool down.

5. Take a pressure cooker, add a cup of water and add the drumstick pieces. Add a pinch of salt. Cook these for two whistles and immediately open the cooker lid by placing the cooker under running tap water to release the pressure inside. This way the drumstick will retain its green color. Drain the water and keep the drumstick aside. Preserve the water.

6. Now in a kadai heat mustard oil. When the oil is hot, add kalo jeera or Kalonji. Add the potato pieces and some salt. Fry on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes turning them frequently till they are 80% done.

7. Now make some space in the kadai and add a little more oil, once its hot add 1/2 of the grated ginger. fry for a few seconds and mix with the potato. Now add the boiled drumstick and boiled papaya. fold in nicely.

8. Adjust the salt and sugar at this stage. It should be a little sweet so add accordingly. Add the remaining 1/2 of the grated ginger fold in and cook for 2-3 minutes.

9. Heat the milk slightly, this will prevent it from getting split when added to the subzi. Now add the milk in the kadai and give everything a nice mix. Add the preserved water from boiling the drumstick to increase the gravy. I prefer this to be a little soupy as it goes well with plain rice.

10. Lightly crush the fried neem leaves and add to the kadai.

11. Break the boris and sprinkle it in the kadai. Now finish off the dish by adding half a teaspoon of ghee and mix well. Keep it covered for a few minutes for the smell of the ghee to spread inside.

Serve it with steamed rice on a hot summer afternoon.