Shosha diye uchche shukto (Cucumber and Bitter-gourd summery concoction) by Sromona Chakraborty
Summer is here and so cooked up my favourite. With a glug of kancha shorsher tel (mustard oil) for garnish, this makes the simplest yet most delectable summer lunch. Passed down by my mother in-law, this recipe is a very easy summery sweetish concoction of cucumber and bitter-gourd that would please your palate for sure. My mother always suggested that we should include bitter-gourd in our regular diet during the scorching Indian summers to stay healthy.
Blessed to belong to a family of legends, Sromona Chakraborty is a teacher by profession, singer by passion, cook by ardour, cat-mom by love – who lives in her cosy nest with spouse and son. We are thrilled to be able to share the gems from her recipe repertoire.
Ingredients:
- Cucumber
- Bitter gourd
- Mustard Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Mustard Paste
- Milk
- Salt
- Sugar
- Dried red chilli
Method:
- Heat mustard oil in a pan.
- Temper with dry red chilli and mustard seeds.
- Now add the chopped bitter gourd and sauté for a while.
- Now add deseeded chopped cucumber.
- Cook for about 5 minutes and then add some warm water.
- Reduce the heat and cover the pan to let everything cook well.
- Then, add about half a cup of milk. It is time to let the vegetables get cooked well. But make sure they do not get mashed.
- Now stir in mustard paste, add salt and sugar to taste (remember it is a sweetish concoction).
- Once it is all done, add a drizzle of mustard oil. Turn off heat, cover pan, and allow some standing time before you serve it with steamed rice.