Bengali Chorchori

 Chachchari is a nutritious yet lip-smacking dish with wholesome nutrition of vegetables along with a subtle – spice taste. This dish is very familiar in the Eastern Region of India where it is consumed in the second phase of a meal with some hot steaming rice, hence acting as a cooling agent for the stomach (especially the potatoes and pointed gourd). The origin of this dish is quite unique as it is said that during the British Raj when child marriage was into existenxe, it was very common for the teenage girls to be window at a young age, later on they exile to Kaashi (now Varanasi). A strict diet was followed by them in order to hold their pangs of lust. The consumption of meat, onion and garlic was strictly prohibited by the widows. So, with the course of time and with the utilization of resources they created a new one-pot dish that was free from any of the prohibited ingredients but comprised of nutritious vegetables with a base of ginger and cumin. Nowdays this chorchori is a stable in almost every bengali households, the difference is every house has their own way of making this recipe, some use toamtoes and vadis, some use fish heads along with other vegetables, so this is my family version of what my mother makes, the vadis are completely homemade and they provide and extra crunch along with the cooked vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

• (5 - 6)Stems of Malabar Spinach
• A Quarter of Ripe Pumpkin
• A Quarter of Raw Pumpkin
• 1 Medium Brinjal
• 3 Pointed Gourd (parwal)
• 2 Medium Potatoes (Peeled)
• 1 Raw Banana
• (10 -15)Pieces of Dried Lentil Dumplings
• 3½ tbsp Mustard Oil
• Salt (As Required)
• 1tsp of Turmeric Powder
•  2 Bay Leaf
• 2 Dry Red Chilli
• 1tsp of Panch Phoron (5 spice mix)
• 1tbsp of Ginger Paste
• 1tbsp of Cumin Seed Paste
• 1tsp of Red Chilli
• 1 Tomato
• Water (As Required)
• 2 Green Chillies (Slit in Half)
• 1 tbsp of Ghee
• ½ tsp of Cumin Powder 

METHOD

1. Peel the pointed gourd, exclude the edges and cut it into 4cm pieces.
2. Cut the potatoes into wedges of four equal parts. Rinse in water to remove excess starch.
3.  Peel the raw bananas, exclude the edges and cut them into equal portions. Rinse in water to remove excess starch.
4. Keep changing the water till it turns out to be clear.
5. Now, take the spinach and pluck the leaves from the stem. Stack the leaves upon each other, roll and cut into half. Take the stem and cut evenly into equal parts.
6. For the pumpkins (both raw and ripe) portion into equal sizes.
7. Exclude the top and bottom of the brinjal and cut it evenly into 5cm pieces.
8. In a kadhai heat some oil and sauté the spinach and take it out, followed by frying the brinjal with some turmeric powder.
9. In that same kadhai heat some more oil and fry the lentil dumplings till it turns golden
10. Add in the whole spices and fry the potatoes, raw banana and pointed gourd, saute for 2-3 minutes and then add the ginger, cumin and red chilli powder.
11. Cook it for (5-6) minutes and then add the pumpkins, add water if necessary.
12. Cook everything till it becomes soft and even, then add  sugar and 1 cup water, mix everything gently.
13. Add the rest of the brinjal and spinach.
14. Give a nice mix and add the tomatoes (optional).
15. Add water if required in order to prevent it from sticking.
16. For the final stage add the slit green chillies, ghee and roasted cumin powder. Check the seasoning; add salt if required as always taste is subjective.
17. Serve it with some hot steaming rice