Lau Shukto
A comforting and traditional Bengali medley of mixed vegetables cooked in a light, bitter-sweet aromatic gravy.
👩🍳 Process
Heat white oil in a pan and deep-fry the bori (lentil dumplings) until golden-brown, then remove and set aside. ▶ 1:55 medium
In the same oil, fry the eggplant pieces until light golden and soft, then remove and set aside. ▶ 2:29 medium
Next, fry the bitter gourd slices until they are nicely browned and crispy, then set aside. ▶ 3:39 medium
Pour mustard oil into the pan. Add the tempering spices (dry red chili, fenugreek, radhuni, panch phoron) and sauté until fragrant. ▶ 4:04 medium
Add the sliced potatoes and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. ▶ 4:10 medium
Add the pointed gourd slices to the pan and stir-fry. ▶ 5:05 medium
Add the drumsticks and the bottle gourd (lau) pieces, mixing all the vegetables together. ▶ 5:19 medium
Add salt and ginger paste, then stir-fry to combine the flavors. ▶ 5:43 medium
Add cumin powder and sauté everything together well. ▶ 6:41 medium
Add a tiny pinch of turmeric powder and mix thoroughly. ▶ 7:06
Pour in a large bowl of water. Cover the pan and let it simmer until all the vegetables are tender. ▶ 7:24 8 min · medium-low
Remove the lid and add the pre-fried eggplant and bitter gourd. Stir well and let it simmer for a minute. ▶ 8:21
Crush the fried bori slightly with your hand and add them to the gravy, letting them absorb the flavors. ▶ 8:43
Add sugar, mix well, and simmer for another minute. ▶ 9:00
Add ghee, mix it in, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it rest before serving. ▶ 9:16 10 min
💡 More tips
- If pointed gourd is unavailable, ridge gourd (jhinge) is an excellent alternative, or you can skip it entirely.
