Being raised in a typical Bengali home, winter always meant a variety of seasonal delicacies from my mother’s kitchen. And while the end of winters was the time for Saraswati Puja, it was also the time when we used to have Sojna Fuler chocchorri as it tasted different and also had medicinal properties.
Today, as a mother, I make the same dish for my daughter. We stay in a different state, away from West Bengal. But as soon as it is winter-time I search for moringa flowers, so that I can make this dish. Though it is difficult to find, I am able to manage some, so that I can relive my childhood memories along with my daughter and my husband as well.
Sojna ful chochhorri
Sojne Ful (Moringa flowers), kidney beans, brinjal, potato, daler bori, mustard oil, panch phoron, green chilies, turmeric powder, salt and sugar
Clean, wash, and cut all the vegetables — sojne ful (moringa flowers), kidney beans, brinjal, and potato — and lightly fry the daler bori in mustard oil and keep aside. Heat mustard oil in a pan, add panch phoron and green chillies until they crackle. Add the potato and kidney beans with turmeric powder and salt and fry for a few minutes. Then add the brinjal and sojne ful, mix gently, cover, and cook until everything is soft. Add the fried daler bori and a pinch of sugar. Cook uncovered for 1-2 minutes, turn off the heat, and finally drizzle 1 tablespoon mustard oil over the chochchori.
My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Tumpa Bose is a private tutor and home cook from West Bengal