Pachon is a traditional Bengali dish prepared on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti, which marks the end of the Bengali calendar year. It’s a dish made with various types of vegetables, each contributing its unique flavour profile, ranging from sour, spicy, and tangy, to mildly sweet. It is said that by consuming dishes like Pachon at the end of the year, Bengalis leave behind all sorrows and hardships, welcoming the new with a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy experiences.
My Pachon Recipe:
I have observed since childhood that in our household, Pachon is cooked on the last day of Chaitra month, following a tradition where my grandmother would use whatever vegetables were available to prepare this dish. It would include a variety of vegetables like a pointed gourd, ridge gourd, coloured potatoes, drumstick, and neem leaves, along with pulses, all cooked together. However, the dish would be entirely vegetarian, without onions or garlic.
I learned this recipe from my grandmother and mother. However, nowadays it’s not always possible to gather so many different vegetables at once. Therefore, I personalize the dish by using my favourite vegetables to recreate the flavours I love. In this blog, I’ll share how I prepare this “Pachon” dish according to my preferences.
How to make Pachon Recipe:
- Prepare the Raw Jackfruit: Steam the raw jackfruit with turmeric and salt for 2 minutes, then drain out the water.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Cut all the vegetables into cubes and wash them thoroughly.
- Prepare the Masala:Â Heat mustard oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf, dried red chili, and panch phoron. Let them splatter for a few seconds. In a small bowl, make a slurry by mixing coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder with a little water. Pour this slurry into the frying pan. Add salt to taste and sugar to the masala mixture. Stir until the masala starts releasing oil.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add vegetables in batches into the frying pan with the masala and mix well.Â
- Finish with Ghee: Before turning off the heat, add ghee to the Pachon and mix thoroughly.
Serving suggestion:
 Pachon pairs perfectly with steamed rice and kacha aam’er dal or any kind of dal.Â
Recipe Video
Recipe Card
Pachon Recipe Choitro Sankranti Special | Pachon Recipe In Bengali
Course: MainCuisine: Bengali4
servings20
minutes40
minutesPachon is a traditional Bengali dish prepared on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti, which marks the end of the Bengali calendar year. It's a dish made with various types of vegetables and pulses.
Ingredients
- Vegetables
1 pc raw banana
1 pc brinjal
1 pc carrot
1 pc ridge gourd
1 pc potato (large)
2 pcs drumstickes
60 g malabar spinach
1 pc sweet potato
2oo g raw jackfruit (steamed)
150 g pumpkin
1 ps pointed gourd
100 g data shak
- Spices
1 bay leaf
2 dry red chilli
1 tablespoon panch phoron
1 teaspoon ginger paste
4-5 green chillies(slit)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste
mustard oil for cooking
Directions
- Steam the raw jackfruit with turmeric and salt for 2 minutes and drain out the water.
- Cut all the vegetables into cubes and wash them.
- Heat mustard oil in a frying pan and add bay leaf, red chilli, and panch phoron. Let them splatter for few seconds.
- Now make a slurry with coriander, turmeric and red chilli powder and pour in the frying pan.
- Add salt to taste and sugar. Stir until masala starts releasing oil.
- Add all the vegetables except raw jackfruit, raw banana and brinjal. mix with the masala. Add little amount of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low to medium heat. But stir occassionally.
- Now add steamed jackfruit, raw banana mix them and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add brinjal and cook them until all the vegetables soften.
- Before turning off the oven add ghee and mix thoroughly.
Notes
- Since the vegetables release a lot of water, there's no need to add extra water.
- In this recipe, you can add other vegetables and pulses. of your choice.
- While adding vegetables its better to cook the hard vegetables first i.e which are hard in nature. Then cook the soft vegetable. Because not all vegetables have the same cooking time.