A gentle Bengali vegetable course, traditionally enjoyed after greens and before dal. This version brings together a generous range of vegetables in a mild, lightly bitter, milky gravy.

Ingredients & quantities

Serves 4

  • 2 drumsticks
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 4 medium bitter gourds
  • 1 medium raw banana
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 cauliflower
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 3 medium potol (pointed gourds)
  • 1 medium green papaya
  • 7–8 flat beans

Spices

  • 1 tbsp mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp paanch phoron
  • 1 tsp green chilli paste
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

For cooking

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 cups water
  • 12–15 bori

Method

  1. Prepare. Wash and cut the vegetables into roughly ½-inch pieces. Cut drumsticks into 2-inch pieces. Mix mustard powder with a little water to make a smooth paste.
  2. Fry separately. Heat the oil. Lightly fry the salted eggplant, then the bitter gourd and bori; lift each out and set aside.
  3. Build the base. Temper the remaining oil with paanch phoron. Fry the remaining vegetables except the drumsticks. Add ginger paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, then add mustard paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
  4. Simmer. Add chilli paste, salt and sugar. Stir in the milk and water. Add drumsticks, fried eggplant, bitter gourd and bori. Cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  5. Finish. Add a little more water if needed to keep the gravy flowing. Stir in ghee and warm through briefly.

Cook’s tip

Fry the bitter gourd separately, so its bitterness stays balanced within the finished dish.

Using modern equipment

An induction hob makes the final gentle simmer easier to control. Keep the heat low after adding milk and stir occasionally; avoid a hard boil.

At the table

Serve warm in a Bengali meal after shaak and before dal.

Your tips & comments: What would you keep true to the Bengali dish, and what would you adapt? Tell us below.