Panch Mishali Tarkari - 5 Vegetable Medley

Panch Mishali Tarkari

Panch means five, Mishali means mixed or medley and Tarkari means curry. This vegetable medley comprises spinach, sweet potato, potato, chayote squash and green peas. Any combination of vegetables can be used and it's a great way to use up scraps of leftover vegetables hiding in the crisper.

Firm vegetables that take longer to cook are stir-fried first until almost cooked, followed by the more delicate vegetables, to keep the latter from turning to mush.


Ingredients
1 pkg. fresh or frozen spinach
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 russet/baking potato, peeled and diced
1 chayote squash, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tsp. ginger paste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. Bengali five spice/panch phoron
3 bay leaves
1 dried red chili, left whole
1/2 tsp. Bengali five spice/panch phoron powder
3-4 green chilies
1 tsp. ghee
salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil and sputter panch phoron, bay leaves and dried red chili.
2. Add chayote squash, sweet and russet potatoes, turn heat down to medium-low, cover and simmer until almost cooked.
3. Stir in ginger paste, turmeric powder, paprika and salt to taste.
4. Add spinach and peas, adjust salt and sugar to taste and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with panch phoron, green chilies and ghee.

Serve with steamed rice or chapatis.