Last week, I had one of those days – I did not feel like
cooking anything. It happens once
in a while. I was getting bored
with all the regular stuff that I normally make and also did not feel like
getting food from outside.
I kept opening my fridge to see what I had – and for
inspiration to strike. I had a
little bit of cauliflower, some carrots, one capsicum, couple of white eggplants from my
garden, and a handful of beans, also from my garden – not exactly inspiring stuff.
Vegetables with Panch Phoron |
I then realized, I had all the ingredients to make Panch
Phoron Chorchori – the recipe that introduced me to the Bengali five-spice
blend! (See my post on Dal with Panch Phoron, for more information.) I hadn’t
made it in ages, and now seemed like the perfect time. I also got to use up a lot of the left-over vegetables in my fridge! A delicious dinner was
ready in just a few minutes.
Note 1: The original recipe calls for red pumpkin and
peas. I did not have either of
those at home. I think you can add
any combination of vegetable you have, and it will work well.
Note 2: The
original recipe also asks you to add sugar, but I don’t. I have included it in the recipe as an
optional ingredient.
Here is what you need (recipe adapted from Festival Cookbook by Vimala Patil and Monisha Bharadwaj):
(easily serves 3 - 4 people)
- 2 tsp. oil
- 1½ tsp. panch phoron (fenugreek seed, onion or nigella seed, cumin seed, black mustard seed and fennel seed in equal parts)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 red chilies
- 2 green chilies, split lengthwise
- ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
- 2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
- 10 - 12 cauliflower florets
- 1 capsicum, seeded and diced
- 1 carrot, sliced diagonally into ovals
- 5 – 6 beans, cut
- 1 small eggplant, cubed
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp. sugar (optional)
- cilantro for garnish
Here is how I made it:
- Heat oil. Add panch phoron, bay leaf, and red chilies.
- When the mustard seeds sputter, add the green chilies and turmeric.
- Add the chopped veggies, salt, and sugar (if you are using).
- Add a cup or so of water, cover and cook on medium-low heat till the veggies are cooked.
- Garnish with cilantro.
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