← Recipes

Labra

The puja-bhog mixed vegetable of pumpkin, radish, sweet potato and brinjal, cooked with panch phoron, ginger and ghee. Soft, mildly sweet and made to go with khichuri.

Ingredients

• 200 g pumpkin, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 potato, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 sweet potato, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 radish, in thick batons
• 1 small brinjal, in 1-inch pieces
• 100 g flat beans (sheem), halved
• 1 small raw banana, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch radish leaves or pui shaak, chopped
• 10 dal bori
• 1 tsp panch phoron
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste

Method

1. Heat mustard oil and fry the bori on low for 1 minute till golden. Remove and keep aside.
2. In the same oil fry the potato and raw banana for 3 minutes. Remove.
3. Add bay leaves, dry red chillies and panch phoron. Let them crackle for 20 seconds.
4. Add the radish and sheem, stir for 2 minutes, then add the potato, raw banana, sweet potato and pumpkin.
5. Add ginger paste, turmeric, cumin powder, salt and green chillies. Stir well, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. The vegetables will release water.
6. Add the brinjal and greens with 0.5 cup water. Cover and cook 10 minutes till everything is soft and the pumpkin starts to break.
7. Add the sugar and fried bori. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes till almost dry, mashing a few pieces of pumpkin.
8. Finish with ghee. Serve warm with bhoger khichuri.

Tip: Add the vegetables in order of hardness. Radish and beans go first, brinjal and greens last, so nothing turns to mush.