Shukto Recipe—Bengali Appetizer of Stewed Vegetables—Bengali Special Lunch Recipe

The most popular kind of Bengali shukto is the mild, comforting stew packed with a variety of vegetables, most notably potatoes, sweet potatoes, bitter gourd (korola), green bananas (kachkola), raw papaya (pepe), brinjal, drumsticks (shojne), and flat beans (sheem). Even though this form of shukto has in recent times come to be associated with ‘traditional’ biyebaris and other nemontonno feasts, and is also quite sought after at restaurants such as Bhojohori Manna, this is only one of the many different kinds of shukto recipes that are part of the Bengali cuisine.

By definition, a shukto is a mild, sometimes bitter, milky curry that is eaten after shaak (greens) and before dal (lentils). As such, it is not the name of a single dish, as is commonly believed, but an entire category of curries (like dalna or ghonto) in its own right. Lau’er shukto (made with bottle gourd), shosha’r shukto (cucumber), and dhula shaak’er shukto are some of the other kinds of shukto known today, albeit among few families. Within the structure of the Bengali meal, shukto is eaten right at the beginning. It is said to stimulate the appetite and prepare the palate for the oncoming spicier courses.

FULL TEXT RECIPE: https://bongeats.com/recipe/shukto/
__
RELATED VIDEOS
Lau’er shukto: https://youtu.be/MCBQ6UFUrP0?list=PLGX3dcCcJDYweaL6mlxJ54UAoKZAjNluz

OUR KITCHEN TOOLS (affiliate links; we earn a small commission): https://bongeats.com/kit

MUSIC
“Chowringhee” composed by Bemanan for Bong Eats

GET THE ALBUM
“Quorma-Kaliya-Polao” at https://kit.com/bongeats/music-album-quorma-kaliya-polao

FIND US on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google Plus @bongeats