This recipe was developed by Hot Bread Kitchen member Lutfannessa! This recipe can be made with a single seasonal vegetable (all cauliflower or all cabbage, for example) or a combination, such as the ingredients listed here. The constants are garlic, fresh ginger, chile peppers, cilantro, and panch puran, a mixture of whole spices including fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds.
Lutfunnessa’s recipe has become a staple part of the culture and curriculum at Hot Bread Kitchen, and is now used as a training tool for members to practice various professional cooking techniques in our culinary training program. Our culinary training program provides hands-on instruction on basic culinary and baking techniques, food safety, and other kitchen fundamentals. Learn more about how Hot Bread Kitchen has diversified our culinary curriculum!
Bangladeshi vegetables being prepared during Hot Bread Kitchen culinary training
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound fresh beans (such as green beans, wax beans, or Romano beans), topped and tailed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 small green cabbage, cored and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small hot yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
- 12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 small hot fresh green chile peppers left whole (seeded if you want less heat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons panch puran*
- 1/2 small head cauliflower broken into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 3 belle peppers (preferably 3 different colors), cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 1 1/2 cups shelled english peas (frozen can also be used)
- 1 packed up fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
*To make panch puran at home, mix equal parts whole fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds. Store in a sealed glass jar in a dark place (like a kitchen cupboard) for up to 6 months.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the beans, cabbage, and carrot and cook until they become just a bit tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chile peppers, and panch puran and cook, stirring, until the mixture is very fragrant and the onion is just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the blanched vegetables, the cauliflower, and bell peppers and season with a few large pinches of salt. Cover the pot and cook, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 25 minutes. Add in yogurt, spices & herbs, and water, mix thoroughly and crush the vegetables. Add salt and bring to a boil, let simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the peas, cover, and cook just until the peas are bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste, remove and discard the whole chiles, and stir in the cilantro. Serve hot.
Recipe originally published in The Hot Bread Kitchen cookbook.
