Pui saager chorchori is a Bengali recipe which is one of the most comforting weekday dishes. It is a medley of Malabar spinach (pui saag) and seasonal vegetables stir-fried with a panchphoron tempering in mustard oil. Chorchori, broadly speaking, is any dish where more than one vegetable or protein is cooked together, at different stages to retain their texture. Pui saager chorchori, a stir fry, is among its most popular forms.
The star pui saag in this Bengali dish has thick, glossy leaves and fleshy stems which hold their shape during cooking and absorb the flavours of the dish quite well. Alongside the pui, a mix of seasonal vegetables like potato, brinjal, pumpkin, sweet potato, and radish is cooked to keep some texture. A special ingredient in Bengali cooking is bori, or urad dal vadi, which are small dried lentil dumplings that are fried until golden and added in two ways. Some like to add it while the dish is still cooking for a softer bite, while some keep it dry and crumble it at the end.
Pui saager chorchori is flexible by nature. In summer, ridge gourd is a natural addition; in winter, broad beans and sweet potato make it heartier. The fundamental cooking process stays the same and requires patience when it comes to layering of vegetables, which are cooked down slowly in their own moisture until everything comes together. It is a dish built on restraint, technique, and an intuitive understanding of how different vegetables cook, and it rewards both.
Peel the potato and sweet potato, wash them under running water, and cut the potatoes into quarters lengthwise. Cut the sweet potato into one-inch pieces. Keep both submerged in water to prevent browning. Wash and cut the brinjal into one-inch cubes lengthwise. Peel and cut the pumpkin and radish into one-inch pieces. Thoroughly wash the pui saag. Roughly tear the leaves or chop with a knife. Cut the stems and shoots into two-inch lengths, separating them from the leaves as they take longer to cook.
Description - Step 2
Fry the bori
Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a large kadai over medium heat. Add the urad dal bori and fry, stirring, until they turn golden brown all over. Remove from the oil. Drop half of them into a bowl of water to soak, and set the other half aside dry. The soaked bori will become soft and soak up the flavours of the dish; the dry ones will be broken over the top at the end for crunch.
Description - Step 3
Fry the brinjal
In the same kadai, heat another tablespoon of mustard oil. Lightly fry the brinjal pieces until just golden on the outside. Remove and set aside. Brinjal cooks faster than the root vegetables, so it is added back partway through cooking.
Description - Step 4
Build the base
Add the remaining tablespoon of mustard oil to the kadai. When hot, add the dried red chillies and panchphoron. Let the panchphoron splutter and become fragrant – about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, sweet potato (drained), pui saag stems and drumsticks, and radish. Fry on high heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Description - Step 5
Slow-cook the vegetables
Add salt and turmeric, stir well to coat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the kadai and allow the vegetables to cook in their own moisture. Stir occasionally and check every few minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the pumpkin pieces. Stir and cover again. When the harder vegetables are about halfway done, add the lightly fried brinjal pieces if they were only partially cooked earlier.
Description - Step 6
Add pui leaves and finish
Once the root vegetables are nearly cooked through, add the pui saag leaves. Sprinkle in the sugar and add the freshly grated ginger. Stir to combine. Add the water-soaked bori to the kadai. Mix everything and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered, stirring, until all the vegetables are cooked and the dish comes together. Taste and adjust salt. Add the slit green chillies. Break the dry, set-aside bori over the top and fold in for texture. Mix thoroughly and serve.
Pui saag is Malabar spinach and is widely available in Bengali households and wet markets across eastern India. Look for it at Indian grocery stores that stock Bengali produce.
Bori are small dried dumplings made from urad dal batter, sun-dried until hard. They are available at most grocery stores selling Bengali fare. If unavailable, the dish still works without them.
Panchphoron is a Bengali five-spice blend made of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds in equal proportions. You can make your own at home.
Regular spinach is not a direct substitute as it wilts very quickly and will not give the same meaty texture or flavour. If pui saag is unavailable, try using amaranth leaves.
Yes. Pui saager chorchori contains no dairy or animal products. It is cooked entirely in mustard oil and is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
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