Sojne Data Charchori- Drumsticks and Vegetables stir/fry

These days I do often make charchari, as I find them nutritious and healthy.This drumsticks or sojne data charchari has well balanced fusion of other vegetables as well, like tender cauliflower leaves, sweet potato, brinjal, carrot and radish.Although sometimes I do even add fried bori/lentil dried dumplings which turn out even more delicious.The basic rule that suits me is mix and match the vegetables and to ones own choices of vegetables.I have seen while growing up how my Ma and then after my marriage how Ma-in-law would be paring vegetables in chorchori, although somehow I do not decipher to that.How do you choose and pair vegetables in charchori/labra, would love to know more about that?

Anyways, I am sure most of you while grocery shopping must have come across many varieties of potatoes. Just to start off there is King Edwards potato, Russet potato, Maris Piper potato, Red potato, white potato, Yukon gold potato etc.It is estimated that there are 4000 types of potatoes that are being currently cultivated and among them 80 varieties of potato is commercially cultivated in UK – more here in Wiki.With these many choices one tends to get confused if not clear about the varieties of potato.
Maris piper and King Edwards potatoes are considered "main crops" as they are harvested in  late summer or early autumn ,with the potato skin is quite firm and they are little bit floury or starchy. Some are good when made as jacket potatoes like Yukon Gold Potatoes, and some are good when roasted like – King Edwards potato.
Actually texture of potato varies-1. Floury/starchy, 2.waxy/boiling and 3.All purpose types-which are in between..
In starchy potatoes -they tend to fall apart after being cooked, and they do absorb butter/oil more.
Waxy Potatoes -they can hold up their shape even after being cooked or boiled so best if they are used up in soups or potato salad.
The in between- all purpose potato -have less starch and they do tend to fall apart quite less as compared to starchy ones- good for stir/fry recipes like this sojne danta Bengali Charchari. Russet is a highly starchy potato.
Most of the times I do tend to pick red potatoes which tends to hold up shape after being cooked so it must be less starchy more like waxy. While Yukon gold potato and Maris piper are the all purpose potato- good for stir/fry, salad, soup, jacket potato, mashed potato etc…
Charlotte –slightly waxy new potato – the skin is not firm yet and are the earliest ones  or the “new potato” ,which we all know as “noton aloo” in Bengali ,is the first most choice for making aloor dom.In UK most of the time I tend to pick up King Edward and Maris piper potato as they are “main crop” and are available mostly throughout the year, and living in US I used to pick Yukon Gold or russet potatoes. Although this time one can even see packets of potato marked “new potato”, they are absolute delight as in Russian Potato salad or may be roasted whole or our very own traditional Bengali Aloor dom.here a recipe with Yukon Gold Potatoes, and also with Baby New potatoes.........

In Indian stir/fry recipe if it calls for using potatoes- the best economical varieties are the White Potatoes,-although Russet potatoes, King Edwards and Maris piper potatoes can also be used. There is an excellent post on varieties of potatoes here...

Potatoes are excellent source of carbohydrates and our stir/fry recipes are incomplete with out them. Do include them in your day-today meals along with fresh green vegetables.

Now to the recipe

Sojne Data Charchori-Drumstick and Vegetables Stir/fry

Recipe requirements(serves 4-5 people)

• 2-3  long drumsticks/sahjan/Sojne dan’ta
• Tender cauliflower leaves chopped about two cups
• 1 carrot
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 sweet potato/ranga aloo
• Half radish
• Brinjal  or any other vegetables
• Seasoning
• ¾ tsp of turmeric powder
• ½ tsp of red pepper powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of sugar
• 3-4 tbs of mustard oil

Method

• Clean the vegetables and cut in equal size. Trim the sides of drumsticks shave off the skin and then chop into 2 inch pieces.
• Cut carrot, radish,sweet potato, brinjal and potatoes in equal size.Take off tender leaves of cauliflower and chop them roughly.Wash and clean in running water to discard mud or dirt.
• Now put a saucepan to heat, and then add mustard oil.
• Now add in panch phoron, dry red pepper. Let it splutter.
• Now add in washed and chopped vegetables. Keep on stir/fry for a minute or two.
• Then add in all the seasonings-turmeric powder, red pepper powder, salt and sugar.
• Add in little bit of water-about 3/4 cup, mix well all. Now cover it and let it cook for about 10-15 mints or till the potatoes are cooked.
• Open the cover, mix in with the spatula, mashing the potatoes a little bit for the semi-dry or “makha-makha” texture for the chorchori.

Note-

This is best eaten with warm cooked rice. Although I do like it with roti/chappati also.

Sometimes I do tend to add fried bari/wadi/ sun- dried lentil dumplings...
Other recipes-
Preoccupied's Sojne data charchari with mustard seeds paste...
Ahaar's -Labra with brinjal and sajne data
and more here
Sajne data and Aloo torkari ..
Bori sajne data diye Pona mach'er jhal

And before I end this post, let me share some more snow pictures with you..Please click on the picture to see enlarged picture......

Usually we end up walking to school, this is bit tiring for us but still it re-vitalize the senses and we love to be up close with nature.

The perfect setting for the play "Snow-white"....although we recently watched Adventures of Tintin -"The secret of the Unicorn"..absolutely a roller-coaster family movie and felt like missing out some fun, even if we blink our eyes.The story kept us all captivated and everything was happening very fast.If you liked reading Tintin comics then this should not be missed.

Happy Cooking Friends