Labra – Bengali style mix -veg

Labra is a kind of mix veg item with prescribed vegetables unlike its counterpart the famous mix -veg. 🙂

Labra is the perfect accompaniment to the khichuri bhog. Once upon a time, traditionally, bhog was served in ‘donas‘. Donas were made of Sal tree leaves, a deciduous tree which is grows widely in India. Now we rarely get to see those hand made donas. There are now machines to make them from dried sal leaves.

Traditionally food was served on pattals and donas, now replaced by man made disposables.

Click here for some info about it.

Khichuri bhog used to served hot and steaming, in a dona, heaped a ladle of Labra on the side and Sweet tomato chutney. We used to mix it all together and gobble it down 😉 and will queue up again for another helping 😀 That was fun !!

Presenting here Labra, part of the Durga Puja Platter.

here’s what i did……..

INGREDIENTS 

**Chopped vegetables for Labra, should be chunky -sized.

1 cup – chopped red pumpkin (peeled or unpeeled)

1/2 cup – chopped french beans or flat beans (1 1/2″ )

1/2 cup – chopped potatoes ( peeled or unpeeled)

1/2 cup – chopped white radish (peeled)

3-4 nos – cauliflower florets

1/4 cup – chopped cauliflower stalks

1 cup – large and roughly shredded cabbage

1/2 cup – chopped in aubergine in squares

2 nos – green chili (slit from centre)

1 nos – dried whole red chili

1 tsp – ginger paste

1 tsp – tumeric powder

1/4 tsp – sugar

1/4 tsp – panch phoron

1 tsp – oil

1 cup – water

salt to taste

METHOD

Wash all vegetables separately. Heat oil in a pan and temper with red whole chili and panch phoran. Once it splutters add the radish and cauliflower stalks and cauli -florets. Stir and cover and cook for 2 -3 mins. Add the potatoes, beans, pumpkin, green chili, tumeric powder. Stir and cover and cook for 2 mins. Now add water, salt and sugar. Cover and cook for 5 -6 mins.

Add the cabbage and cook for another 2-3 mins. The water will have dried up but keeping the veggies moist. Add the ginger paste, mix well and take it off fire. Keep it covered for 10 mins for the ginger to infuse it’s flavor.

Serve hot with khichuri bhog.

Happy cooking !! 🙂

Cheers !! 😀