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Chorchori
Mixed vegetable stir-fry
Sobji chorchori (সবজি চচ্চড়ি): Bengali mixed vegetables cooked down with panch phoron and mustard oil until dry
Chorchori is the thrifty everyday dish of Kolkata kitchens, where whatever vegetables are in the basket, pumpkin, potato, aubergine, radish, beans, are cut into sticks and cooked down slowly with panch phoron and mustard oil until the pan is dry and the bottom catches a little. Bengalis love that slightly caramelised scrape at the bottom of the pan. It is eaten with rice and dal at lunch. A portion is about 150 kcal. The usual mistake is stirring too much, which breaks the vegetables into mush; once the lid is on, leave it and just shake the pan. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of mustard paste or a pinch of sugar at the end, as many Bengali homes do; it rounds out the flavour.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 potatocut into 1 cm sticks
- 7 oz pumpkinpeeled, cut into 1 cm sticks
- 1 auberginesmall, cut into sticks
- 2 ⅞ oz green beanscut into 4 cm lengths
- 3 ½ oz white radish (optional)cut into sticks
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil in a wide pan or kadai over a high heat until it just smokes, then turn down to medium. Add 1 tsp panch phoron and 1 dried red chilli and let them crackle for a few seconds.
2 minStep 2: Add 1 potato and 3 ½ oz white radish and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the potato edges are translucent.
3 minStep 3: Add 7 oz pumpkin, 1 aubergine, 2 ⅞ oz green beans, 2 green chillies, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and toss to coat. Sprinkle over 4 tablespoons of water.
1 minStep 4: Cover and cook on a low heat for 10–12 minutes, shaking the pan now and then instead of stirring, until the potato is tender and the pumpkin is soft but holding its shape.
12 minStep 5: Uncover, add ½ tsp sugar and cook on a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until the liquid has gone and the bottom just begins to catch. Serve with rice and dal.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chorchori take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried red chilli?
- ½ tsp chilli flakes per chilli.
- What can I use instead of potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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