Panch Foran Diye Niramish Torkari
(Mixed Vegetable with Panch Foran)
Recently I had been to my Bengali friends Jayanti and Jayashree Das’s place for Satyanarayan Puja and for the first time I had the opportunity to taste some authentic Bengali food there.
All these years when it came to Bengali cuisine, the first thing that came to my mind was their sumptuous fish dishes. Fish cookery is undoubtedly one of Bengali cuisine’s better-known features and distinguishes it from the cooking of the landlocked regions.Bengal 's
countless rivers, ponds and lakes teem with many kinds of freshwater fish and
the Bengalis prepare fish in innumerable ways – steamed, fried or stewed with
greens or other vegetables and with sauces that are mustard based or thickened
with poppy seeds. But, not many of us are aware that the Bengalis also excel in
the cooking of vegetables. They prepare a variety of imaginative dishes using
the many types of vegetables that grow there year round. The use of spices for
both fish and vegetable dishes is quite extensive and includes many
combinations not found in other parts of India
The Panch Foran is a mixture of five whole spices viz.,
1. Cumin Seeds (Jeera),
2. Fennel Seeds (Saunf),
3. Fenugreek Seeds (Methi),
4. Nigella Seeds(Kalonji) and
5. Black Mustard (Rai / Mohri).
My friends and their mother who is an expert at Bengali cuisine had made the Niramish Torkari especially for the Puja. Niramish means without onion / garlic and Torkari means vegetables. So this dish is a mixed vegetable dish made on auspicious occasions like pujas when one is supposed to avoid onions and garlic. This recipe has not much of spices added to it and the only unique and dominant taste is that of the Panch Foran. I liked this preparation so much that I decided to make it today being the first Shravani Shanivar (First Saturday of the month of Shravan). Sharing the recipe here… I am sure all of you will like it as much as I did. Do try it out friends and let me know your Niramish Torkari turned out…
Ingredients –
1. Cauliflower Florets – 1 cup
2. Potatoes peeled and diced into cubes – 1 cup
3. Chopped French Beans – ½ cup
4. Carrots peeled and diced into cubes – ½ cup
5. Brinjals / Eggplants chopped into cubes – 1 cup
6. Shredded Cabbage – 1 cup
7. Chopped Capsicum – ½ cup
8. Drumsticks peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces – 8-10 pieces
9. String Beans (Shravan Ghevda) – Strings removed, halved
and chopped into half an inch pieces
10. Chopped Tomatoes – ½ cup
(You can also add Pumpkin, Radish and Cucumber all peeled and chopped into cubes. I haven’t added them only because these were not available at my place)
11. Green Chillies roughly chopped – If you have the dark green lavangi mirchis, use 4-5 and if you are using the light green lesser hot chillies, you can use 8-10 depending on how spicy you want your Torkari to be)
12. Panch Foran Mix (see top) – 1 teaspoon (mix all the whole spices except fenugreek seeds in equal proportion. Use smaller proportion of fenugreek seeds [7-8 seeds] because of their mildly bitter taste)
13. Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
14. Salt to taste
15. Sugar – 1 teaspoon
16. Freshly chopped Coriander – a handful
17. Oil – 3 tablespoons
Method –
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep pan or Kadhai. Add Cumin Seeds. Once they splutter, add in the potatoes. Fry them till they turn golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
Heat the remaining Oil in the Kadhai. Once hot, add the Panch Foran mix. Let it splutter. Then add the chopped green chillies. Saute for a minute. Then add in all the vegetables except the cabbage and tomatoes. Stir continuously till they mix well. Cover with a lid and let it cook on low heat for around 10 minutes. Remove the cover and now add in the shredded cabbage and chopped tomatoes. Again stir well, cover and let it cook for around 10 more minutes.
Remember that this Torkari is to be cooked on very low heat and no water is to be added. The vegetables will get cooked in their own moisture.
Now add turmeric powder, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well. Again cover with the lid and cook till all the vegetables become tender and blend well. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Goes well with phulkas, chapatis or puris… anything you like!
Wishing you all Happy Cooking ! :)
Recently I had been to my Bengali friends Jayanti and Jayashree Das’s place for Satyanarayan Puja and for the first time I had the opportunity to taste some authentic Bengali food there.
All these years when it came to Bengali cuisine, the first thing that came to my mind was their sumptuous fish dishes. Fish cookery is undoubtedly one of Bengali cuisine’s better-known features and distinguishes it from the cooking of the landlocked regions.
The Panch Foran is a mixture of five whole spices viz.,
1. Cumin Seeds (Jeera),
2. Fennel Seeds (Saunf),
3. Fenugreek Seeds (Methi),
4. Nigella Seeds(Kalonji) and
5. Black Mustard (Rai / Mohri).
My friends and their mother who is an expert at Bengali cuisine had made the Niramish Torkari especially for the Puja. Niramish means without onion / garlic and Torkari means vegetables. So this dish is a mixed vegetable dish made on auspicious occasions like pujas when one is supposed to avoid onions and garlic. This recipe has not much of spices added to it and the only unique and dominant taste is that of the Panch Foran. I liked this preparation so much that I decided to make it today being the first Shravani Shanivar (First Saturday of the month of Shravan). Sharing the recipe here… I am sure all of you will like it as much as I did. Do try it out friends and let me know your Niramish Torkari turned out…
Ingredients –
1. Cauliflower Florets – 1 cup
2. Potatoes peeled and diced into cubes – 1 cup
3. Chopped French Beans – ½ cup
4. Carrots peeled and diced into cubes – ½ cup
5. Brinjals / Eggplants chopped into cubes – 1 cup
6. Shredded Cabbage – 1 cup
7. Chopped Capsicum – ½ cup
8. Drumsticks peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces – 8-10 pieces
9. String Beans (Shravan Ghevda) – Strings removed, halved
and chopped into half an inch pieces
10. Chopped Tomatoes – ½ cup
(You can also add Pumpkin, Radish and Cucumber all peeled and chopped into cubes. I haven’t added them only because these were not available at my place)
11. Green Chillies roughly chopped – If you have the dark green lavangi mirchis, use 4-5 and if you are using the light green lesser hot chillies, you can use 8-10 depending on how spicy you want your Torkari to be)
12. Panch Foran Mix (see top) – 1 teaspoon (mix all the whole spices except fenugreek seeds in equal proportion. Use smaller proportion of fenugreek seeds [7-8 seeds] because of their mildly bitter taste)
13. Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
14. Salt to taste
15. Sugar – 1 teaspoon
16. Freshly chopped Coriander – a handful
17. Oil – 3 tablespoons
Method –
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep pan or Kadhai. Add Cumin Seeds. Once they splutter, add in the potatoes. Fry them till they turn golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
Heat the remaining Oil in the Kadhai. Once hot, add the Panch Foran mix. Let it splutter. Then add the chopped green chillies. Saute for a minute. Then add in all the vegetables except the cabbage and tomatoes. Stir continuously till they mix well. Cover with a lid and let it cook on low heat for around 10 minutes. Remove the cover and now add in the shredded cabbage and chopped tomatoes. Again stir well, cover and let it cook for around 10 more minutes.
Remember that this Torkari is to be cooked on very low heat and no water is to be added. The vegetables will get cooked in their own moisture.
Now add turmeric powder, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well. Again cover with the lid and cook till all the vegetables become tender and blend well. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Goes well with phulkas, chapatis or puris… anything you like!
Wishing you all Happy Cooking ! :)
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