Panch Mishali Chorchori - Stir-Fried Vegetable Medley

 

Panch Mishali Chorchori

This dish is a mixture of 5 vegetables (panch mishali) that are stir-fried (chorchori) with or without lentil dumplings, also known as 'bori'. I used 3 root vegetables, radish, carrots and sweet potato, along with eggplant and pui shaak or malabar spinach. It's very easy to prepare and a great use of vegetables that may have been overlooked or forgotten. It doesn't need onions or garlic which was a blessing for me because I dislike 'shedding tears' over onions.

Ingredients

1 white radish, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 Japanese eggplant, chopped

2-3 stalks malabar spinach (or any spinach), chopped

1 handful mung dal boris (optional)

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

4 Tbsp. mustard or vegetable oil

1 tsp. panch phoron/Bengali 5 spice seeds (nigella, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, fennel)

2 dried red chilies, seeds removed

2 bay leaves

3-4 green chilies

salt and sugar to taste

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil and brown boris/lentil dumplings, if using, and set aside.
2. Dilute ginger paste in 2 Tbsp. water and set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil and sputter panch phoron and dried red chilies.
4. Add diluted ginger paste and stir.
5. Add boris and vegetables in sequence, stirring in between.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables release their juices and soften.
7. Add green chilies and remove from heat.

Serve over a mound of steamed rice.