Phulkopir Data and Runner Beans Charchari

December starts with a bang and before we will realize a new year will usher in. All shops, shopping malls are well decorated and people are getting busy Christmas shopping, even gifting each other. Some even decorating their home with Christmas tree. We still haven’t decided when we will be putting up our Christmas tree compared to that, many already are giving finishing touch to their home and tree decorations. I  do like the festive season and the spirit with which it brings, but it always makes me little afraid of shopping  particularly in shopping malls , over crowded and long queue to toilets, makes it even more cranky expedition.

This weekend we were out in Oxford streets (actually most of the weekend we just love to hang out there for some time) and what rush and maddening crowd there. That sums up my assumption of Christmas shopping. And at night time when we were walking around in the street ,it all started to lit up with glowing, glittering lights and Christmas characters, that reminded us of Durga Puja Pandal decorations and huge portraits of light glowing God and Goddess.But next week, to avoid this maddening rush we would stay in home, have a cup of hot tea in comfy of our home and then probably watch a movie.

And then on Sunday will try to cook a full course Bengali meal as always.This Bengali charchari recipe was long due, just that it slipped away from my mind. I really doubt that it will suit the festive spirit as per cooking is concerned, as you all will be expecting cakes, biscuits, tarts, muffin recipes from me, little deviating from the festive spirit here..But whatever you cook, and where ever you eat that, it’s the people and their good intention, pleasant interaction, makes it worthy of memories.

I will try to do baking recipes when it will be Christmas Eve, for the time being let’s feed our souls and body with some vegetables and this Charchari recipe is one such great way of incorporating nutritional value to our food. I had some tender cauliflower stalks very fresh and green, just couldn’t throw in bin this time, and then freshest of runner beans, and a full bag of carrots, my folks are not much eager to eat gajar ka halva, so that needed to be used also and with all those fresh vegetables - a Charchari recipe was made in jiffy.

Now to the recipe

Phulkopir danta(cauliflower stalks) and Runner beans'er Niramish Charchari

Recipe requirements(serves-3-4)

• Tender stalks of cauliflower/phulkopir danta
• 1 Carrot
• 3-4 Runner beans
• Small red radish about 1-2 cups chopped or half large muli/white radish
• 1 medium size potato
• Seasoning and for phoron
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of red pepper powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of panch phoron
• 2 tej patta
• 2 dry red pepper
• 3-4 tbs of mustard oil
• ¾ tsp of salt
• Two pinch of sugar
• ½ tsp of ghee

Method

• Clean, wash and chop all vegetables in equal size of about 1 to 2 inch in length.
• Now heat up a saucepan/kadai.Add in mustard oil, now temper/phoron it with panch phoron, tej patta and red dry pepper.
• When the panch phoron starts spluttering, add in all the chopped vegetables- cauliflower stalks, carrots, radish, potato.Keep on stir/fry for 4-5 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in all the seasonings- turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar.Coat the seasonings well all over the fried vegetables.
• Add in about half a cup of water and cover the saucepan with lid. Let it cook for 7-10 mints at medium flame or till the potatoes are cooked well and you can mix and mash the vegetables easily.
• At the end add in ghee. Enjoy it with warm cooked rice or Roti/ruti/phulka.

Note-

• Many other vegetables like-Snow peas, Baby corn, Brinjal, Butter-nut squash, can also be added to this Charchari recipe.
• Add in fried Fish head and fish bones to make it Amish Charchari.

Happy Cooking a have lovely week days ahead...