Santula is a wholesome Odia vegetable dish, known for its subtle flavours. Unlike heavily-spiced curries, Santula relies on the natural taste of fresh vegetables enhanced only by minimal spices.
Typically seasonal vegetables are used, like potato, pumpkin, raw papaya, brinjal (eggplant), okra (lady's fingers).
The vegetables are first either lightly sautéed or boiled/steamed and then cooked together in a nourishing mix until soft and sometimes slightly mashed
Pratibha Kumari Singh's preparation for this light, balanced dish from Odisha is best had with steamed rice, but you can opt for rotis or puris too.
Photograph: Kind courtesy ସୁଭ ପା/Subhashish Panigrahi/Wikimedia Commons
Santula
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed kadu or lal bopla or pumpkin
- 1 medium baingan or eggplant, cubed
- 1 green banana
- 4-5 bhindi or okra or lady's fingers, chopped into 1½ inch pieces
- 2 sinh or drumstick,chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 100 gm any gourd of your choice, cubed (I used doodhi or loki or bottle gourd)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 green chillies, split lengthwise
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 5-6 garlic pods, crushed
- 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- Salt to taste, about 1-1½ tsp
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1-2 cups water
- Handful fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
Method
- In a frying pan heat up 1 tbsp of the oil and fry the bhindi over a high heat until lightly crisp.
Take off heat and keep aside.
- Warm the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan or a kadhai over medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds, green chillies and sizzle briefly.
Then add in the onions.
Fry the onions, stirring frequently, till soft and lightly golden.
Add the vegetables, garlic, except the bhindi and the tomato, along with the turmeric powder, salt.
Stir to coat the vegetables evenly with the spices.
Cover and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes.
Uncover, stir and add in the chopped tomato.
Pour in 1-2 cups of water depending on how much gravy is preferred.
Cover again and cook for another 9-10 minutes, gently mashing the vegetables slightly as they soften.
Now add in the fried bhindi and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Finish with the chopped coriander, take off heat and serve hot with rice, rotis or puris.
Pratibha's Notes: Choose any vegetables you prefer -- pumpkin adds a particularly nice flavour, so it's worth including.
- Try to cut all vegetables to a similar size so they cook evenly.