Panchmisali Tarkari - A Bengali Mix-vegetable Delight

Tarkari, A cooking term associated with Bengali cuisine, which is similar to 'curry' in english. In bengal, we use this word for any uncooked vegetable as well as for cooked curries of vegetable or for fish curry or fish and vegetable cooked together. Even though, the staple food of Bengal is definitely rice and fish, bengalis consume a lot of vegetables, too and it's a must daily along with fish. Bengali cuisine has a lot of low calorie veg. dishes, made with very less oil and spices, tempered with some seeds(referred as phoron) and just a touch of turmeric powder and green chilli. So these veg. dishes are extremely healthy and low calorie.

 

One of them is Panchmisali Tarkari...if you got the meaning of tarkari, I will tell you what panchmisali means...'panch' means five, 'misali' means mix here, that means it's a mix vegetable curry dish. But the number of vege doesn't have to be five, it can be 4 or 6. Just 5 or 6 or more types of vegetables cooked together with a tempering(phoron) and with touch of turmeric powder. It's extremely healthy dish. There is no fixed vegetable for this, you can use any vegetable available in your home. It's just a simple comfort food and you are getting all the vitamins and minerals needed from one dish.

Now to the recipe....

You Need : :

Vegetables I used : Green beans, broad beans/shim, sweet potato/potato, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, pumpkin, Okra/bhindi and carrot(optional). (arbi/taro roots, ridge gourd/Jhinge can be used, do not use beets in this dish, brinjal is a must here)
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
Panch phoron : 1 tsp.(mixture of fennel, white cumin, black cumin, mustard and fenugreek seed--mix each in equal quantity and use 1 tsp. from the mix)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder :  1 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 or 2(chopped)
Tomato : 1(medium-chopped)
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing(optional, but recommended)

Method : 

• Wash and cut all the vegetables more or less in same sizes. Because, as all are going to the same pot and cooked together, harder vegetables should cut in smaller sizes and softer veges should cut in bigger sizes, so all can be cooked at the same time. if using, ridge gourd, add it at the end when all other veges are already tender.
• Heat oil in a pan, add dry red chilli and panch phoron, when seeds start to turn dark (do not burn the seeds, it will make the curry bitter) , throw all the veges to the pan. Add little salt and stir fry for 2 minutes. Then add chopped green chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder. Give it a good stir for few minutes and mix well with the veges. Add sugar and mix again. 
• Pour over about 1 cup of water and cover the lid and let it cook in medium heat. 
• Check time to time, it will take more or less 7-8 minutes. When water dries up and vegetables are tender, check the seasoning(salt). Add if needed. Give it a good stir and mix well.
• Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves if available. Serve hot with rice as the first course of meal.