Labra -- a mixed vegetable dish

Next it is the ‘’Saraswati Pujo’’and main recipe of this festival is Labra. Khichuri is an important part of this day for the Bengalis and labra is a mixed veggie dish popular as a side to the Khichuri.

Preparation

Vegetables are the most important and only ingredient of a Labra. There is very little of other spices involved. So it is important the vegetables you use for this dish are fresh and taste good. Chop the following vegetables in roughly equal sizes and more or less equal proportion

·         Potato -- 1 large, peeled and chopped along the length

·         1 red begun, chopped in cubes

·         1/2 cup of cubed red radish

·         1&1/2 cup of chopped cabbage. Cabbage should be chopped not thin but should be little thickly cut

·         Pumpkin 1 cup peeled and cubed.  Microwave the pumpkin for about 3 minutes and then peel

Add vegetables like few cauliflower florets, cauliflower stems and some drumsticks or available          “pui-sak’’ for better test

Note: I have also done labra with broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini etc. All of them work well. Whatever vegetables you use, try to add little pumpkin and potatoes to get the best taste.

Cooking

Heat White Oil or Mustard Oil in a heavy bottomed deep saucier or Kadhai

Temper the hot oil with a pinch of Hing, 1 tsp of Paanch-Phoron and 3 broken dry red chili. When the spices pop add about 1 tsp of minced ginger. You can also add ginger towards the end to get a more gingery flavor.

First add the potatoes. Sprinkle about 1/4th tsp of turmeric powder and saute the potatoes for half a minute.

Add the radish, sauté covered for about two-three minutes and then follow with the Begun. Sautee for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle some water if the veggies tend to stick. Add carrots/cauliflower/broccoli if using. The trick is to add the hard vegetables first followed by the softer and leafy veggies.

Now add the cabbage. Mix all together and sauté for a minute.

Next goes the pumpkin. Mix everything together. If the pumpkin is sweet you don't need to add sugar else add a little sugar towards the end Add salt to taste. Add 2-3 slit green chili. Give a good stir. Add little water about say 1/4th cup and cover and cook. Check in between, if more water is needed add more water and cook till veggies are done. Break up some of the potatoes and the pumpkin unevenly with the back of your spatula and give a final mix. The dish should be a little moist and not totally dry.

Let it sit for 10 minutes or so for all the flavors to come together.

Serve with rice and dal or with Khichuri for Pujo.

NEXT IN THIS PhuIko luchi with gor- gore alur jhol