Dal Sukto Recipe

Dal Sukto Recipe:

Dal Shukto is a traditional Bengali dish cooked wit seasonal vegetables and lentils popular for its bitter sweet taste.It is really good for health as no spices other than turmeric powder is used.Using bitter gourd is must in this recipe. Sukto is said to improve digestion and other minor stomach problem.My mother used to make sukto for us whenever we had any minor stomach problem.

Dal Sukto Ingredients:

• 1 bitter gourd.
• 1 potato.
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans.
• 1 plantain(Kacha kela).
• 1 small brinjal/eggplant.
• 1 tea spoon mustard seeds.
• 1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds.
• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder.
• 1 tea spoon grated ginger.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 tea spoon sugar.
• salt.
• 1/2 cup masoor dal/pink lentils.
• oil.

Dal Sukto Method:

1. The first step is to wash and cut the vegetables.Remove the skin of the plantain(Kacha kela) and cut it in long thin pieces.Peel the potato and slice it.Wash and cut the remaining vegetables.
2. Wash the masoor dal/pink lentils and pressure cook it .Usually masoor dal/pink lentils gets boiled in 2 to 3 whistle of the pressure cooker,but always press the dal between your thumb and index finger to check if it is cooked to perfection or not.The boiled masoor dal should not be hard in the middle when you press it.If the dal is still little hard in the middle pressure cook it for some more time.
3. Now in a pan heat 1 table spoon oil and add the mustard seeds,cumin seeds and bay leaf.Once the seeds start to crackle add all the vegetables and stir fry them in medium heat till they are all tender.
4. Now add the already boiled masoor dal/pink lentils,salt,sugar,1/2 cup warm water and mix well with the vegetables.Add turmeric powder and grated ginger.Let it simmer in low heat till you get your desired consistency.