Bengalis have a tendency of putting potato in any kind of recipe. It feels as if potatoes are an integral part of all the recipes. You can guess from the average health of all Bengalis, barring some exceptions, generally every Bengali signifies that potato look, a little more fats here and there. I too am not an exception. I like to add potatoes in different curries, though because of peer pressure the quantity has reduced with the passage of time.
Everyday after coming back from office, it’s always a pain staking job to think what to cook for dinner. Last night I was only left out with a piece of pumpkin and some potatoes. In my flat I don’t have a mixer grinder so couldn’t think of experimenting any other curries with that pumpkin. I took to cooking a simple potato pumpkin curry.
This preparation uses a masala that is a widely used spice in Bengali cuisine. As the name suggests (“Five Spices”), panch phoron is a combination of 5 spices, namely mustard seeds (sarse), fennel (mouri), nigella (kalo jeera), cumin (jeera) and fenugreek seeds (methi), you canknow more at Wiki.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin (Kumro): 100gms
- Potato (Alu): 2 medium sizes
- Onion (Peyaj): 1 small
- Green chili (Kacha Lanka): 2
- Turmeric powder (Halud Guro): ½ teaspoon
- Mustard oil (Sarser Tel): 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a wok
- Sauté the onions in the heated oil and throw in the panch phoron
- Stir for 30 seconds before adding the vegetables
- Put in turmeric powder, salt and the chilies
- Stir for 2 -3 minutes, and add ½ cup of water for the vegetables to get cooked properly
- As the vegetables get cooked properly, take out from flame and serve with roti, paratha or rice
Check for more updates on this blog, till then Happy Cooking and Happy Eating
Ami baguner kicu recipiece chae
Thank you for your post 🙂 Aajkei try korbo..
ami kichu gajor die banano sobji sikhte chai.plz kichu recipe update koro,
what kind of recipe do you want? For starters there is bhaat bhaja or fried rice where you can use carrots. You can also use it in shukto or put some in khichudi. For dessert there is always gajar ka halwa.
If you need any more recipes let me know.
This site is really very nice,where i stay in bangalore i get pachphoron.or i make it own..kalajira ,methi,jeera,mouri, and mix them,.am i r8 sudeshna?
Yes, you are very right, Payal. Just add mustard (kalo sarse) and/or radhuni with the other four spices.
Hey Sudeshna,
This site is very helpful, I have become a regular visitor. I use to ask the bengali preparations from my mother over phone but nowadays I just open your site. Thanks.
I have made the panch phoron at home by mixing all the spices.
Chhanda,
It’s so good to hear that from you, thank you so much for the comment. Please do let me know if you require any help for any particular recipe still not in the website. I’ll mail that to you
Looks like a great ‘testimonial’ of Sudeshna’s work. If someday, Cook Like a Bong becomes a brand, your one-liner would surely be used. 🙂
Thanks for the encouraging words, Chhanda.
great recipe. i love the kumro and alu combination. amazingly we get panch phoron in zurich switzerland.
Oh, this is a great news, becase I never got it in Bangalore, had to prepare it myself mixing up the spices. Wish you a great new year.
you can get panch phoron in Bangalore…unlike Kolkata its not widely available…but yes at some markets and groceries u will get panch phoron… cheers
@Shaeri,
It great to hear that my posts help people in need. yeh here in Bangalore, where I stay I dont get panch phoron, so had to get it from Kolkata.
Hey, Nice Post.
Just to say: you can buy each of the Phoron here in Bangalore and of course mix them…, wash them…., dry…. and make clean best panch phoron 🙂
Hi Prem,
You can buy the five spices anywhere in Bangalore, check out Spencers/ Nilgiris or any big grocery store near to your place. I don’t think you can get the panch phoron as it is, you have to buy the spices and mix it by yourself. That’s how I do it.
hello
thanks for the recipies.i try cooking bengali stuff but mess up most of the times.will try bandhakopir torkari too. i stay in dubai ar ekhane ekhono panch foron dekhini. so made them at home thanks forwriting what they consist of. i missed out on dubai
Not just bengalis, the oriyas love their potatoes too! The hunny would put taters in tea, if he could! Bet, he would love this recipe 🙂