Whole Spinach Curry with Mixed Vegetables/Shish paloker Ghonto

 

Shish Palonger Ghonto is another winter staple cooked with plenty of different vegetables like pumpkin, eggplant, cauliflower, radish, sweet potato and lentil dumplings. Shish palong means whole big spinach with hard stems only available in winter months in India. This is available in Asian groceries call Taiwanese spinach.

I always loved this dish since my childhood and often make it whatever spinach is available. Thanks to my good food habits that I never get board with veggie dishes. Bengali are known as fish, chicken and mutton consuming people; however simple dish like this one and many more complete the Bengali style whole meal. Bengali cuisine has an array of  vegetarian dishes if explored and most of them are plant based and satvic(meaning no onion or garlic are used).

Ghonto means mash though, but it actually not mash as I described in my Mulor Ghonto recipe. Everything is just nicely coated. This is simple, earthy, rustic, affordable, healthy and delicious. Best enjoyed with plain rice.  

Ingredients~

(US customary units)

2 big bunches of stem attached spinach
2 Chinese eggplants 
2 small sweet potatoes

2 medium potatoes

1 medium radish
1 big wedge of pumpkin or kabocha squash
A few cauliflower florets 
1/2 cup green peas

1/2 tsp ginger paste

3-4 Thai chilies
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 Sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp Bengali whole spices(panchforon)

1/2 cup lentil dumplings

1 bay leaf

Method~

Cut vegetables into thick 1 1/2 inch pieces. Separated stems from leaves and wash thoroughly until sandy residue gone. Heat oil n a heavy bottomed pan on medium high flame. Fry lentil dumplings until golden brown and set aside. Add panch phoron and bay leaf. Once splutters add radish. Cover and cook with little salt in low heat. When the radish softens slightly add the potatoes, stems, pumpkins, cauliflower along with ginger paste, turmeric and salt. Saute for awhile then cover and cook stirring occasionally. Once veggies are kind of soft add egg plant and mix well to combine. Cook further until all veggies are soft. At last add spinach peas. Stir everything together until spinach wilts. Add sugar, then taste and adjust salt. Slightly crush lentil dumpling and give it  good stir. Enjoy with plain rice.

Happy Cooking!