By Rajlakshmi
June 19, 2026
Usually served as ‘bhog’ or prasad during Bengali festivals like Durga puja, Kali puja, Saraswati puja and more. It is also eaten with khichuri whenever it’s cooked in Bengali homes. Labra is a mix of seasonal veggies tempered in panch phoron or 5 spices. This is a quick guide to cook labra at home.
280 grams of potatoes 240 grams of gati kochu or taro corm 500 grams of brinjal 220 grams of unripe bananas 240 grams of banana stem 200 grams of cauliflower 450 grams of cabbage 150 grams of flat beans 120 grams of yard-long beans 700 grams of pumpkin
Mustard oil 3-5 dried red chillis A few bay leaves 2 teaspoons of panch phoron 2-3 green chillis 3 tablespoons of ginger paste 150 grams of coconut, shredded 2 tablespoons of turmeric Salt and sugar to taste 3 teaspoons of ghee 20 grams of bhaja moshla or fried masala
Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Take a pot, boil the water. Add the yard-long beans and cook for 2 minutes. Remove once cooked.
In the same pot, add the gati kochu and cook it for 5 minutes. Remove from water.
Take a large kadai. Heat the mustard oil. Let it turn pale yellow. Lower the heat and add the brinjal pieces. Cook until golden brown.
Fry the unripe banana pieces. Remove it from the kadai. In the same kadai, temper the oil with dried red chillis and panch phoron.
Add the potatoes and banana stems. Fry it for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add green chillis and cook for a minute. Add in the sweet potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the cooked vegetables.
Cook everything together. Add the shredded coconut, salt, sugar, and turmeric. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the ghee and bhaja moshla. Cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. Serve with khichuri and khejur chutney.