Mulo’r Ghanto (Dry Raddish Curry)

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The soil here in Bangalore is not very fertile so despite of having medium sized front yard I dint try to grow anything. My garden consisted some 35 pieces flowerpots. Last year I decided to try my green fingers and after painstakingly preparing the soil sowed some vegetables like Spinach, Methi (Fenugreek), French beans, Pumpkins, ladies fingers and reddish. And beyond my imagination I had a bounty of harvest except ladies fingers, which refused to grow after reaching a dwarf size of 6”. But the methi and raddish have made up for everything.

I love raddish green. Just boiled raddish greens with some chopped onion, green chillies, few drops of mustard oil and salt…I can have a plateful of rice with this. But how much??? Even after generously giving all my friends I had quite some amount of raddish in the garden. I was literally brainstorming as what to make when life gives you plenty of raddish??? Ok you put it in salad, make chachchari, ok you can also put them in macher tak and then??? I asked Maa over phone and she readily answered make mulo’r ghanto, don’t you remember I used to make this during winter. But that was Bandhakopi (cabbage) I tried to argue. No that’s what we told otherwise you kids were not ready to eat mulo (raddish) she chuckled in the phone. Ahha so here another story of being fooled is coming up…but never mind am happy enough to discover this as I got another way to have my share of raddish.

Here is the recipe, which is a must try. I made a niramish (veg) ghanto with chola (Soaked Bengal gram) but following true Bengali tradition one can have amish (non-veg) ghanto by putting shrimp or fish head. It’s easy and calls for very less ingredients. Tastes a lot like bandhakopi’r chachari (cabbage curry) good for kids who don’t want to eat Raddish.

Mulo’r Ghanto

Ingredients:
Raddish: medium sized 4-5 pieces
Potato: 1 small
Chola (Bengal gram): 2 tablespoon, soaked
Ginger paste: 11/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

Oil: 2 tablespoon
Ghee: 2 teaspoon
Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
Garam masala powder: little bit
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
For tempering:
Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon
Dried red chillies: 2 pieces
Tejpatta (bay leaf): 1 piece

Method:
Cut the raddish really fine or you can also grate the same. Wash and boil with salt and turmeric for 7 minutes. Make sure raddish is cooked with a slight crunch. Drain the water and Again wash thoroughly to avoid the unpleasant smell and mild bitterness.

Peel and cut the potato in small cubes.

Mix the ginger paste, coriander and cumin paste or powder with 2-spoon water and keep aside.

Heat the oil and one spoonful of ghee in a pan. Put the tempering ingredients. When aroma rises add the potatoes and salt. Fry till golden in colour, they should be ¾ cooked at this point.
Add the masala paste and give it a good stir. Cook till oil separates at the side.
Now put the soaked Bengal gram and stir well.

Now add the cooked raddish, salt and turmeric. On a low flame mix well and cook covered. At this stage a little juice will come out. Mix everything together and keep stirring.

Once the juice dries up and the raddish soaks the masala flavour add the sugar, garam masala powder and the rest of the ghee.

Mix well and serve hot with boiled rice.

This recipe goes to Think Spice hosted by Priya of Priya’s easy n tasty recipes for the month of October . This beautiful event was started by wonderful Sunita Bhuyan of Sunita’s world.