It’s a simple authentic bengali veg curry. No masala, no base.
Just cooked in fresh tomatoes, ghee and the quintessential Paanch Puran. This is the beautiful mix of 5 whole spices:
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Nigella seeds
Fenugreek seeds.

When roasted or added to hot oil it’s so aromatic!
Panch Puran can be used to start a dish or used for tempering to end a dish.
It’s culinary uses are endless in Indian and predominantly West Bengal cuisine.

INGREDIENTS:

Quart cup of ghee
2 tej pattha
3 dried chillies
2 tsp panch puran
Half tsp hing Asafoetida

3 large fresh tomatoes chopped
3 green chillies slit
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric

1 inch ginger and handful fresh coriander

Mines got sweet potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, khol rabbi, mooli or radish.
3 tbsp drained canned red kidney beans.

Its started with lots of ghee, panch puran, dried chillies, bay leaves sizzled in hot ghee and hing added. Seconds later add veg bar spinach.

With veg added, next add sugar, salt, also add cumin powder, coriander,
chilli, turmeric. Stir well and cook on medium low, till veg almost done.

Add spinach ensuring you cook out all water released and oil starting to float!
You want tomatoes totally softened and becoming a thick sauce adhering to veg and oil surfacing.

Finish of with the finely grated fresh ginger 5 mins before end and handful coriander.

Stir and serve with dhal and bhaji, as tradition.

© Copyright, 31.1.2021 Papli Rani Dey
All Rights Reserved