MIXED VEGETABLE MEDLEY / NIRAMISH CHOCCHORI

A fever, sore throat, junior's semester, attending certain other responsibilities, my own engagements, I am caught up with many things. Yet I thought I should write up a recipe today, it's been a week I have not. This Niramish Chocchori or Mixed Vegetable Medley is a regular dish in any Bengali household. Each family has it's own way of doing it.... with any combination of vegetables and their choice of tempering. At this home I try to keep the vegetable dishes less spicy because I tend to prepare my curries a bit  and hot.

To be frank, in my side of the family, we usually use this combination of vegetables to cook "shutki maach" [sundried fish], specifically with the dried Bombay Duck variety]. If you are still reading it and have not left me, let me tell you I still could not gather the courage to blog about my much loved dried fish dishes. Before I stop blogging, I hope I can, I should. We belong to the eastern part of undivided Bengal, now Bangladesh. Hence, dried fish preparations are a pleasure, delicacy for us. 

My burger, sushi, pizza loving men too become a typical Bangal when it comes to dried fish bharta or chocchori. When I can blog on it I will, as of now I wish to share this simple mixed vegetable dish with you all. Let us prepare this Niramish Chocchori / Mixed Vegetable Medley together before my swollen eyes start giving more of trouble. Actually, Bengali Homes cook quite a number of mixed vegetable medley using different combinations of vegetables depending on the season & their availability.

INGREDIENTS :

FLAT / HYACINTH BEAN : 250gm
POTATO : 1 big
RADISH : 2 [if using the small sized Indian ones, otherwise a big one]
EGGPLANT : 1big

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2 tbsp

VIETNAMESE SAWTOOTH CORIANDER / MEXICAN CORIANDER / CULANTRO / BILITI DHONRPATA PASTE  : 2 TBSP
GREEN CHILLI : 4[slitted]
CUMIN POWDER : 1 tsp

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 tsp
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 tsp
SALT : As Required
NIGELLA SEED [KALONJI] : 1/4tsp [for tempering]
DRY RED CHILLI : 2 [halved]

BAY LEAF : 1
OIL : 2 tbsp [authentically Mustard Oil]

METHOD :

Here is the saw tooth coriander  or biliti dhonepata or culantro leaves paste.

Remove the skin of the potato and radish. Wash and cut half, then lengthwise. Wash and cut half the eggplants and then lengthwise. Cut each flat bean into two pieces, do not forget to take off the fibre from the inner side's mid-section.

Keep each in separate bowls and rub with turmeric powder and salt.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the eggplant pieces and take out. Temper the remaining oil with the nigella seeds, bay leaf and the halved dry red chillies. 

Add the potato and radish pieces, stir and cover cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the washed flat bean pieces and the slitted green chillies. Fold in well.

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and stir well. Cover cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the egg plant pieces, chopped and washed coriander leaves, culantro leaves paste.

Fold in well and cook for another 1-2  minutes. Add the sugar and fold in well. Cook for another  minute, take down.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy with steamed rice or chapati.