DISH RESEARCH · Side dish

Labra

Bong Eats’ family labra stews a particular mix of eleven vegetables with mustard oil, ginger, Panch Phoron, coconut and a final ghee-and-Bhaja-Moshla finish.

About Labra

Research draft based on the references below. These notes describe particular recipes and presentations; ingredient connections are still being reviewed.

Bong Eats presents labra through an East Bengali family recipe handed down through the author’s grandmother. The mixed vegetables accompanied the family’s bhuna khichuri during Lokkhi pujo, and this version follows its particular vegetable order.

Yardlong beans are briefly boiled and removed, followed by taro corms in the same water. Brinjal and unripe banana are fried separately in the same mustard oil and set aside.

Dried red chillies and Panch Phoron temper that oil before ginger paste is fried. Potato and banana stem join first, then pumpkin, green-chilli paste, sweet potato, cauliflower and cabbage.

The parboiled taro and flat beans are added, followed by grated coconut, salt, sugar and turmeric. Covered cooking continues with gentle stirring, then the blanched yardlong beans and the same fried brinjal and banana return with slit green chillies.

Once the vegetables are very soft, the heat is switched off. Ghee and Bhaja Moshla finish the same pot, which rests tightly covered before serving.

Explore ingredients See countries & cuisines

Dish type: Side dish
Preparation: Read the preparation
Prep the vegetables into uniform sizes. Boil yardlong beans briefly in water, remove, then parboil the taro in that same water and remove. Heat mustard oil, fry brinjal until golden and remove, then fry the unripe banana and set aside. Temper the same oil with dried red chillies and Panch Phoron, fry ginger paste, then add potato and banana stem. Add pumpkin, then green-chilli paste, followed by sweet potato, cauliflower and cabbage. Cook covered, add the parboiled taro and flat beans, then grated coconut. Mix in salt, sugar and turmeric and continue covered cooking with occasional gentle stirring. Return the blanched yardlong beans, then the slit green chillies and same fried brinjal and banana. When the vegetables are very soft, switch off, add ghee and Bhaja Moshla, cover tightly and rest before serving.

Before you order

Confirm the ingredients and preparation of the version you plan to eat. Recipes can vary between kitchens.

Prepare your questions →

Ingredients in Labra

Recorded ingredient connections, rather than a complete recipe. Explore an ingredient for more detail.

Potatobase
Sweet Potatobase
Eggplantbase
Radishbase
Green Beanbase
Gingerseasoning
Vegetable Oilcooking medium
Pumpkinbase
Cabbagebase
Panch Phoronseasoning

Ingredient connections awaiting review. Versions and preparation vary.

Origins & food traditions

Explore the countries and cooking traditions associated with this dish. These connections do not establish a single birthplace or limit where the dish is eaten today.

Countries

India

Cuisines & regions

Bengali Cuisine

Associations in the cited sources

These describe source-specific cultural or geographic connections. Catalogue links may still need review.

Cooking traditions: East Bengali / Bengali

AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.

Sources & references

Labra