Machher shukto

Shukto or Shukta is a vegetarian recipe which has become a traditional delicacy from Bengal prepared only during weddings or any other big family gatherings or festivals. It is a complicated dish which needs elaborate preparation and has become a lost recipe nowadays rarely cooked in Bengali homes. I learnt this recipe after marriage ,though it is cooked at my maternal home also, but the preparation is different.
In this dish we need a special spice known as radhuni or celery seeds easily found in Bengal. In case you do not find this spice you can substitute with Bengali five spices mix. The flavor of aroma of celery seeds is unique and divine.You can watch in the video how to assemble Bengali 5 spices at home and also how to make a perfect mustard paste.In shukto we generally add bitter gourd. In this shukto we don’t add that.

Ingredients

Vegetables

2 cups of vegetables containing:

• Brinjal cut into long pieces
• Potatoes cut vertically into pieces
• Green bananas cut into pieces
• Cauliflower cut into small pieces

Fish

• 5 to 6 pieces of Carp fish

Whole Spices

• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 or 2 dried red chili
• 1 tsp paanch phoran(Bengali 5 spices mix)

Spice paste

• 1 tbsp mustard paste
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds paste
• 1 cup milk

Oil

• 1/4 th cup mustard oil
• 2 tbsp clarified butter

Preparations

• Smear the fish pieces with turmeric and salt
• Heat mustard oil till smoking
• Fry the fish pieces till light brown on all sides
• fry the vegetables and take out
• Add celery seeds, dried chili and bay leaves as seasoning.
• saute ginger paste followed by mustard paste.
• Add poppy seeds paste and saute
• Add 1/2 cup of water and salt.
• Add the vegetables and simmer on slow flame.
• When the vegetables are tender add milk
• Add the fish pieces at this stage and cover cook.
• Add clarified butter,green chilies .
• Roast the five spices mix and powder them.
• Sprinkle on the cooked vegetable.
• Serve hot with rice.

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Machher shukta

Shukto or Shukta is a vegetarian recipe which has become a traditional delicacy from Bengal prepared only during weddings or any other big family gatherings or festivals. It is a complicated dish which needs elaborate preparation and has become a lost recipe nowadays rarely cooked in Bengali homes.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Bengali, East Indian

Keyword bong connection, fish recipes, Indiani recipes, seafood lovers, shukta

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 persons

Author indrani

Ingredients

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 2 cups of vegetables containing:
• Brinjal cut into long pieces
• Potatoes cut vertically into pieces
• Green bananas cut into pieces
• Cauliflower cut into small pieces
• Bitter gourd optional

Fish

• 5 to 6 pieces of Carp fish

Whole Spices

• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 or 2 dried red chili
• 1 tsp paanch phoran Bengali 5 spices mix

Spice paste

• 1 tbsp mustard paste
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds paste
• 1 cup milk

Oil

• 1/4 th cup mustard oil
• 2 tbsp clarified butter

Instructions

Preparations

1. Smear the fish pieces with turmeric and salt
2. Heat mustard oil till smoking
3. Fry the fish pieces till light brown on all sides
4. fry the vegetables and take out
5. Add celery seeds, dried chili and bay leaves as seasoning.
6. saute ginger paste followed by mustard paste.
7. Add poppy seeds paste and saute
8. Add 1/2 cup of water and salt.
9. Add the vegetables and simmer on slow flame.
10. When the vegetables are tender add milk
11. Add the fish pieces at this stage and cover cook.
12. Add clarified butter,green chilies .
13. Roast the five spices mix and powder them.
14. Sprinkle on the cooked vegetable.
15. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe Video