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Santula
ସନ୍ତୁଳା · Odisha's gently spiced mixed vegetables with panch phoron
Santula is everyday Odia comfort food, the dish cooks in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack make when someone is unwell or when the family wants something light after festival meals. Papaya, potato, aubergine, pumpkin and raw banana are boiled with turmeric, then given a quick tempering of panch phoron, garlic and dried chilli in a little oil, and finished, in many homes, with a spoon of milk. It is soft, mild and slightly soupy, and eaten with rice and dal. Chef's tip: boil the vegetables only until just tender; santula should look like separate pieces, not a mash.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz raw green papayapeeled, 2 cm chunks
- 1 medium potato2 cm chunks
- 1 small aubergine2 cm chunks
- 5 ½ oz pumpkin2 cm chunks
- 1 raw green bananapeeled, 2 cm chunks
- 2 ⅞ oz green beanscut in 3 cm pieces
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅜ in gingergrated
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz raw green papaya, 1 medium potato, 1 raw green banana and 2 ⅞ oz green beans in a pan with 1 ¾ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.
6 minStep 2: Add 1 small aubergine and 5 ½ oz pumpkin and cook for 6–8 minutes more until every piece is tender when pressed with a spoon but still whole. Leave the cooking water in; it becomes the light sauce. Common mistake: boiling everything together from the start; the pumpkin dissolves before the papaya softens.
8 minStep 3: Heat 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil or vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp panch phoron and 2 dried red chillies; when the seeds crackle, add 4 garlic cloves and ⅜ in ginger and fry for 30–40 seconds until the garlic turns pale gold.
1 minStep 4: Pour the tempering over the vegetables, stir gently and simmer for 2 minutes. Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with rice and dal.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does santula take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 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 potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of raw green banana?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
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