Ghanto, is a type of preparation where the ingredients are mixed very well together, so we make Muri Ghanto, which is with fish head and rice and potatoes all mixed together, or Mocha Ghanto, with Banana flower, these are just of the popular 0nes. So this is the recipe for Palak Saager ghanto, in which various vegetables are so mixed that it is difficult to separate them, the main ingredient is Palak ( Spinach).
Palak (spinach) is plentiful in the winter months in India so are the other vegetables that is used in this recipe which are Baigan ( Eggplant ) , Mooli ( white Radish , and Aloo (Potatoes). When I lived in the US I did not have time to deal with the fresh spinach leaves which had to be chopped and washed properly, so I used the frozen packets of chopped spinach that I found in the supermarkets. Mooli (White radish or Diakon) is not liked by many people so I often omit that vegetable and use only Baigan and Aloo with the Palak.
Since this is a mish-mash type of dish it becomes more tasty and interesting to add some sort of crunch to it, usually I garnish it with pieces of fried Bodi. Bodi is made of White Urad dal ( peeled black gram), or Red Masoor dal (split red lentil). The dal is soaked then ground to a thick paste, then little cone shaped ground dal dumplings are sun dried. Once it is dried these are stored in airtight jars to be used when needed. Premade Bodis are available in most Bengali Grocery shops. You can also use fried Peanuts to garnish the Ghanto if Bodis are not avaialble.
THE FIRST PHOTO ABOVE ARE BODIS MADE WITH URAD DAL, THE SECOND PHOTO IS AFTER THE BODIS WERE DEEP FRIED
Ingredients
- Washed and chopped Palak ( spinach) 3 cups full
- Aloo (Potatoes) peeled and chopped and Baigan (Eggplant) peeled and chopped and Mooli (Radish) peeled and chopped. 2 cups all together
- For tarka or seasoning the oil
- Jeera or whole cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
- Red dry chilies 2
- Masalas
- Salt 1/2 teaspoons
- Sugar 1/2 teaspoon
- Jeera powder or Cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Dhania powder or Coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Mirchi or Chili powder 1/4 teaspoon
- Haldi or Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
- Mustard oil 5 Tablespoons
- Ghee 2 Tablespoons
- Bodi 5 or 6 pieces of big Urad dal bodi
Wash the spinach well, drain out the water and then chop it small.
Wash the Eggplant and dice it, Peel and wash Potato and dice it small, and peel and wash the Radish and dice it too.
The Masalas or spices needed .
Salt, ( Namak, or Noon) ,Tumeric ( haldi powder or Holud)powder, Chili powder ( mirchi powder or Lonka guro), Cumin powder ( jeera powder or Jire guro), coriander powder( Dhania powder or dhone guro), Sugar ( chini).
For Tempering ( Tardka or Phoron) you need Dry red chilies,(Mirchi or sukhno lonka), Cumin seeds ( Jeera or Jire)
Plus Mustard oil and Ghee.
Method
- Heat a wok or kadai, pour in all the mustard oil.
- Once it is hot fry the bodi to a nice golden brown. Remove it from the oil and keep aside.
- In the remaining oil add the Ingredients for Tarka (Tempering ): Jeera seeds, Dry chili .
- Stir well till the chili is a bit dark, then add the Spinach, vegetables, and the Masalas, (cumin, turmeric, coriander,chili powders and salt and sugar)
- Stir well and cover the wok and let it cook on medium heat. Open the cover once in a while and stir the vegetables well so that it is nicely mixed with the masalas. The water from the Palak saag or spinach will cook the other vegetables.
- When you find the vegetables are soft and cooked, open the cover and dry out any water that is still in the vegetables. Keep stirring and make it as dry as possible.
- Add the ghee and stir it well.
- Remove from the heat and put it in a serving bowl.
To garnish, just break the fried bodis and sprinkle it on top. This dish is delicious without the bodis too. Serve with plain cooked rice.
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