Vegetables in ginger and cumin sauce

Name: Vegetables in ginger and cumin sauce
Yield: Serves 4–5
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 2 bay leaves; 5-6 fenugreek seeds; 75 g/3 oz/½ cup green beans, cut into 2.5cm/1in lengths; 75 g/3 oz canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice; 1 large aubergine (eggplant), sliced lengthways and cut into 1cm/½in chunks; 5 ml/1 tsp salt, or to taste; 225 g/8 oz potatoes, cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes; 1 small or ½ large butternut squash, cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes; 2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin; 2 fresh green chillies, chopped, (deseeded if preferred); 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 5 ml/1 tsp ginger purée; 1.25 ml/¼ tsp black mustard seeds; 60 ml/4 tbsp mustard oil; 1.25 ml/¼ tsp cumin seeds; 1.25 ml/¼ tsp fennel seeds; 1.25 ml/¼ tsp nigella seeds

Preparation info

Serves
4–5

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook

By Mridula Baljekar

Published 2017

About

The original recipe for this dish was created using leftover vegetables when there were too few of any one type to make up a single dish. It was so delicious that these days a combination of fresh vegetables are specially bought just to make Labra. Mustard oil is used here, but sunflower or olive oil may also be used.

Ingredients

60 ml/4 tbsp mustard oil
1.25 ml/¼

Asia
India
East India
Main course
Leftovers
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium to high heat. When hot, remove from the heat and add the mustard seeds, followed by the cumin, fennel, nigella and fenugreek seeds and the bay leaves.
Return the pan to the heat and add the onion, ginger and chillies. Stir-fry for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture begins to brown.
Stir in the tur