Chadachadi is a Bengali dish that is made with a hodgepodge of leftover vegetables. There is a strong flavoring of mustard seeds and mustard oil that gives this dish a distinctive tangy, depth of flavor.
Sumeet’s Chadachadi – a Bengali Mixed Vegetable Dish
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Soak for 5 -6 hours or overnight:
2 tsp. whole dhaniya seeds (coriander)
2 tsp. jeera (cumin seeds)
2 tsp. rai (black mustard seeds)
3 green chilies
- Grind the above with about 2-3 tbsp. water.
- Make it a fine paste.
Additional ingredients:
2 bunches spinach, chopped fine (should be about 8 cups chopped)
Equal amounts of eggplant and radish, diced ( approx 3 cups of each)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. panch phorun
6 cloves garlic, sliced
3 whole red chilies
1 tsp. haldi (turmeric powder)
½ tsp. red chili powder (to taste)
5 tbsp. mustard oil
Salt to taste
Method:
- In a wok or kadai, heat 3 tbsp. mustard oil to smoking point.
- Add 1 tsp. panch phorun.
- Add the garlic and whole red chilies.
- Add the ground masala, haldi and salt and mix well.
- Cook this mixture for about 20 – 25 minutes until it is well combined.
- Add the chopped eggplant and radish.
- Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped spinach.
- Mix well.
- Add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cover and cook stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.
- Add chili powder and mash the veggies down in the wok.
- Cook for another 15 minutes, add salt to taste and to off with a little more mustard oil.
- Serve hot with white rice or rotis.
