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Bengali Shukto curry with potatoes, bitter melon, and green beans in a creamy sauce
Authentic Bengali Shukto with mixed vegetables

Classic Bengali Shukto: Mixed Veggie Curry with Bitter Melon

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Soups
Shukto functions as a digestive starter in Bengali cuisine. The bitter compounds in the karela (bitter melon) stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes. The dish achieves a complex balance by offsetting this bitterness with the sweetness of sweet potato and the creamy fat of coconut milk, seasoned with the unique five-spice blend 'Panch Phoron'.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 25 mins
⌛ Total Time 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 450 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Indian (Bengali)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Wok or Kadai: The concave shape is perfect for deep frying the bitter melon and then simmering the curry.
  • Lid: Essential for steaming the root vegetables until tender.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Tree Nuts (Coconut)

Instructions

1 ✓

Peel and chop vegetables. Salt the bitter melon and let sit for 20 mins, then rinse.

Tip: Osmosis draws out the water-soluble bitter compounds. Rinsing afterwards removes excess salt.
2 ✓

Heat mustard oil to smoking point, then reduce heat. Fry bitter melon until browned. Set aside.

Tip: Mustard oil must be heated to smoking point to remove its pungent, raw volatile oils (isothiocyanates).
3 ✓

In the remaining oil, add Panch Phoron seeds. When they crackle, add ginger.

Tip: Crackling indicates the release of essential oils. Do not burn the spices, or the curry will be acrid.
4 ✓

Add potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beans. Sauté for 5 minutes.

Tip: Sautéing the vegetables creates a firm skin that prevents them from disintegrating into mush during boiling.
5 ✓

Add water, salt, and sugar. Simmer until veggies are tender. Stir in fried bitter melon and coconut milk.

Tip: Adding the fried bitter melon at the end prevents the bitterness from overwhelming the entire sauce.
6 ✓

Simmer for 2 more minutes and serve with rice.

Tip: Traditionally served warm, not piping hot, to allow the subtle flavors to be perceived better.

Recipe FAQ

It's too bitter!
Did you salt and rinse the bitter melon? Also, increasing the milk/sugar balance helps counteract bitterness.
Substitute for Panch Phoron?
Mix equal parts fennel, cumin, mustard, nigella, and fenugreek seeds.
Order of eating?
In a Bengali meal, Shukto is always eaten first as a palate cleanser/digestive.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Potatoes
  • 1 whole Bitter Melon (Karela)
  • 3.5 oz Green Beans
  • 1 medium Sweet Potato
  • 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
  • 1 tsp Panch Phoron (Bengali 5-Spice)
  • 1/2 inch Fresh Ginger (grated)
  • 0.5 cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 cup Water