A bowlful of shukto — the very sight of it is enough to hop on nostalgia express to those sepia-toned days when thakuma, didima or maa would make shukto and run behind us to feed some. The first ingredient that comes to mind with shukto is ucchey or bitter gourd. But, did you know shukto can be of varied kinds? For example, have you ever tried lau’er shukto if you still have strong reservations about bitter gourds?
Lau or bottle gourd is a staple vegetable in summer. It keeps you hydrated and is a good source of vitamin C and K, and calcium as well. And, it is tasty. Bottle gourd shukto is one of the many delights of Bengal’s near-forgotten recipes, about which you can learn from Kolkata-based food influencers Anindya and Madhushree aka @pikturenama’s recent video.
The beautifully shot video comes with a detailed recipe. And as you watch it, here are two suggestions to make the cooking (and eating) experience better:
Invest in good bori if you are not making them at home. Bori can indeed make or break this recipe
Go for kochi lau. The younger and smaller the vegetable is, the more tastier will be the outcome
