Palong Shaker Charchari ( A medley of Spinach and vegetables)

Charchari is a bengali cooking style where one or more vegetables, sometimes stalks of leafy greens are also added, are cooked with very few spices and with a phoron(tempering). The bone of large fish like bhetki or chitol can be added into a charchari called Kanta-charchari, kanta means fish-bone.

You Need ::
Spinach : a bunch
Potatoes : 1 (cut into cubes)
Sweet potato : 1 (cut into cubes)
cauliflower : 1/2 cup (cut in small pieces)
Pumpkin : 1/2 cup (cut into cubes)
Augergine/bringal : 1 (cut into cubes)
Radish : 1/2 cup (cut into cubes)
Green peas : 1/ 3 cup
Onion : 1 (sliced)
Tomato : 1(chopped)
Green chilli : 1 or 2 (as per tolerance level)
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
Panch phoron: 1 tblsp. (a mixture of fennel, cumin, black cumin, Mustard & fenugreek seeds-mix each of same amount)
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Mustard or any other Oil : 2 tblsp.
Vadi : 1/2 cup (crisp when fried, are made of different lentils, available in Indian grocery stores)

Method :

• Spinach grows in sandy soil, so wash it thoroughly to get rid of the grainy, sandy particles. Tear off the stem. Cut the leaves in 1 inch or longer pieces and place them in a large bowl of water. Gently wash leaves, and let the sand drift to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leaves from the water, and repeat the process 1 or 2 times with fresh water until the leaves are clean.
• Cut the other veegtables into cube like pieces and also wash them.
• Heat oil in a pan, fry the vadis till brown and keep them aside.
• In the same oil when the oil is hot but not smoking, add dry red chill first, followed by panch phoron, immidiately add all the other vegetables except spinach. Add little salt and turmeric and give it a good stir.
• Then add tomatoes, green chilli, red chilli powder, sugar and mix well. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Then pour about 2/3 cup of water to cook the veges. Cover the lid and let it cook, when the veges are almost done and water has almost dried, add the spinach and green peas.
• Cover the lid again. After a minute or two, open the cover and mix well altogether. Dry all the water and add salt if needed. Remove from heat.
• Crush the vadis with back of a spoon and sprinkle them all over the spinach curry.

Serve hot with hot, hot plain rice....enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!