Panchi Misali Chorchori – Bengali Mixed Up Spring Medley

Panch Misali ChorchorOur Sunday lunches are usually both simple and complex at the same time.I try to do something closer to homey food.                              Something either I have grown up with or probably something closer to the MIL’s cooking like this dish of red beans.       Winter has been really hard this year and this weekend we wanted something simple and satisfying.                                       I cooked a light Dal, some fish and then this chorchori.A chorchori is the Bengali word for a mishmash or medley of vegetables, both frugal and healthy at the same time. This recipe is also known as panch mishali tarkari, or five vegetable stir-fry.
 This being said, my mother kind of objected to the use of the word “panch” in the title of the recipe, as panch means five and she said that a good chorchori or vegetable medley is not bound to any number, it really was just all about balance. So, honestly, I do not restrict myself to a number so the word panch here is really a metaphor of mixed or of many numbers. This dish looks different almost every time I make it depending on the season, and the version I share with you is a springtime variation.
Radishes
The general concept with these dishes is to get a balanced palate of vegetable, in fact, often what is in the fridge. There really are no rules with Panch (5) mishali (mixed) medley, ok, I guess coming to think of it there are some. You will want a decent number of assorted vegetables at least 4 to 6 varieties, ideally offering some balance in textures, colors and consequently flavors. There should be some semblance of odds and ends here again harking back to the texture component, so essentially the cauliflower stalks here offer you some degree of density and crunchiness and the eggplant offers softness.
PM_1_650So I made mine with what I had available and added some boris (dried lentil nuggets) that my aunt had brought with her this time round from Kolkata. These work much like croutons and add crunch to a recipe but are much more nutritious. I also added about 1 cup of cauliflower stems and tender leaves along with the cauliflower and was very pleased to see the results.
Panch Mishali Chorchori/Tarkari
The kids are growing up, every time I stop and focus they surprise me with their latest milestone. Aadi is learning about money in school and informed me looking at a nickel that the picture was Jefferson’s who lived in Monticello. Even when he makes such pronouncements, it sometimes is rather hard for us to keep a straight face. He also has been trying to play hangiman with us (this is his version of Hangman) learned of course in an attempt to keep up with big sis!
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Panchi Misali Chorchori – Bengali Mixed up Medley

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A mixed up variation of a classic Bengali dish called panch misali chorchori, with almost any combination of vegetables you can find handy with crisp boris or lentil nuggets

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon panch phoron (Bengali 5-spice mix)
  • 2-3 dried red chilies
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 Italian eggplant (about 1 cup cubed)
  • 10 red radishes with greens (about 1 large bunch, 2 cups cubed. 3/4 cup greens)
  • 3 small red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup chopped cauliflower
  • 3/4 cup of tender cauliflower, stalks and leaves
  • 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Oil for frying the boris
  • 1/2 cup boris or lentil nuggets (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the mustard oil and add the panchphoron and wait till the seeds crackle. Add the ginger and the eggplants and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the cover, at this point the eggplants should be sweaty and fairly soft.
  3. Add in the radishes, setting aside the greens, potatoes and the cauliflower and the cauliflower stalks and the carrots and stir well.
  4. Stir in the turmeric, salt and the chili powder and cook for 5 minutes. Continue cooking the vegetables adding the water as needed, to ensure that all the vegetables are tender. While you do not want them too mushy, they should be well done not crisp.
  5. In the meantime if using the boris, heat the plain oil and add the boris and fry till crisp, this takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with the slotted spoon, lightly crush the boris and add as a final garnish before serving.
  6. Stir in the boris and the cilantro if using and mix well.
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