Charchari

Tried this recipe http://bongcookbook.blogspot.com/2007/04/charchari-bengali-vegetable-mlange.html for a Bengali vegetable dish called Charchari.  Followed the recipe as is, with small modifications with respect to the quantities of the vegetables used based on what I had available. Enjoyed the dish, especially the mustard flavour.

Ingredients

• Potatoes (yukon gold) – 2 cups
• Brinjal (small violet brinjals) – 2 cups
• White pumpkin – 2 cups
• Ridge gourd – 2 cups
• Green chillies – 5
• Mustard – 2 tablespoon
• Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon
• Hing – 1/2 teaspoon
• Panch phoran – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Sugar – 2 teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoon

Preparation

1. Soak the mustard in 2 tbsp water.
2. Grind the mustard with the green chillies to a smooth paste.
3. Cut the vegetables into equal sized parts.
4. Cook the vegetables  with tumeric and the mustard paste, until done,  in a covered vessel.  The recipes calls for not adding any water, I wasn’t sure, so added 1/2 cup water, could possibly do without it.
5. Heat oil, temper with hing and panch phoran. The recipe calls for tempering with slit green chillies too, I did not since the mustard paste was already spicy.
6. Add cooked vegetables, saute.
7. Add salt and sugar, mix them in.
8. Allow vegetables to cook until all the water dries out.

Serves : 3-4