Labra - A Bengali Classic

Name: Labra - A Bengali Classic
Total time: 2400 s
Yield: 5-6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Mustard Oil; 3-4 dry Red Chillies; 1 tsp Panch Phoron; 1 tsp grated Ginger; 1 tsp (or to taste) Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder; 1 tsp roasted Cumin Powder; 1 tsp roasted Coriander Powder; 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder; 5-6 slit Green Chillies; 1 cup cut lengthwise Green Beans; 1 1/2 cups Cauliflower florets; 1 1/2 cups lengthwise cut Raw Bananas; 1 1/2 cups sliced Ridge Gourd; 1 1/2 cups cubed Green Pumpkin; 1 cup sliced Carrots; 1 cup cubed Sweet Potatoes; 1 cup cubed Potatoes; 1 1/2 cups lengthwise cut Eggplants; 200 ml water; 1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut; 1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala or Bhaja Moshla

ZMA @zesty5

#DPW
#cookpadindia
#crispandflavourful
#newrecipe
Labra is a signature Bengali dish made during Festivals and special occasions. An humble yet iconic mixed Vegetable Curry that is loved for it's unique aroma and flavour. It's a Vegetable mix often cooked without Onion and Garlic.
It's a scrumptious meal popular in Bengal and Assam. Serve it piping hot alongside steamed Rice or Rotis for a wholesome meal. It's a quintessential festive food paired with Khichuri or Khichdi.

Labra or Labrer Torkari is a perfect choice for meals for the whole family. With a horde of delicious and healthy Vegetables, this one cannot be missed at all. It's a great option for everyday meals. The best part is that it can be whipped up in just a few minutes. The only time consuming part is the cutting of the Vegetables. That's the only thing that requires a little bit of efforts. Otherwise the whole dish comes around in just a few minutes. I had used Malabar Spinach in it as well. It was handy and I could use it easily.

Traditionally this dish is made in different ways in each Bengali households. The grated the number of people and their own traditions, the more number of variations in the dish. But on the whole, the essence remains the same. The use of Vegetables might differ and slightly the way of making it as well but the basic essence remains the same for every household. Let's get started then.

Enjoy Cooking with Zeen!

ZMA @zesty5

Enjoy Cooking with Zeen!

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Ingredients

35-40 minutes

5-6 servings

3 tbspMustard Oil
3-4dry Red Chillies
1 tspPanch Phoron
1 tspgrated Ginger
1 tsp(or to taste) Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tsproasted Cumin Powder
1 tsproasted Coriander Powder
1/2 tspTurmeric Powder
5-6slit Green Chillies
1 cupcut lengthwise Green Beans
1 1/2 cupsCauliflower florets
1 1/2 cupslengthwise cut Raw Bananas
1 1/2 cupssliced Ridge Gourd
1 1/2 cupscubed Green Pumpkin
1 cupsliced Carrots
1 cupcubed Sweet Potatoes
1 cupcubed Potatoes
1 1/2 cupslengthwise cut Eggplants
200 mlwater
1/4 cupgrated fresh Coconut
1 tspBengali Garam Masala or Bhaja Moshla

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Steps

35-40 minutes

1

Heat mustard oil in a pan, add Panch Phoron and dry red chillies.
2

Add hardest vegetables first, shallow fry each batch, then add the next.
3

Add green chillies and fry all vegetables together for 6-7 minutes.
4

Add grated coconut, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and chilli powder.
5

Mix well, add water, cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle traditional Bengali garam masala or bhaja moshla as you wrap up the dish. It's absolutely ready to serve.
6

Serve hot alongside steamed Rice. Enjoy!

Tips

Fry the Vegetables in batches according to their hardness to ensure even cooking.

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Cooksnaps

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ZMA @zesty5

on October 17, 2025 17:31

Homemaker by choice and a passionate cook by heart. An aspiring cook who actually never knew anything about Cooking until i became a mother myself.With Motherhood came the responsibilities as well and this was the turning point in my life.I started to learn the ABC's of cooking, taking help from my mother and my MIL. And time just flew. I spread my wings higher and higher. With my love for excellence and innovation, i stepped into a world of homecooks with my exposure to Cookpad one fine day on the social media. And there was no looking back since then and i have not only shared recipes here on this wonderful platform but also have made some lovely friends as well. Today iam successful because of my hard work, dedication and loads of good wishes of my family and my kids in particular.