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A blue bowl with boiled cauliflower florets, leaves and stalks, Potato and beans for Mizo Bai a vegetable stew from India's NE Mizoram. A pale brown checked napkin to the left
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5 from 1 vote

Mizo Bai / Mizoram Rice Vegetable Stew

Mizo Bai from Mizoram's cuisine, an easy vegetable stew of seasonal greens and vegetables boiled with a little salt. North Eastern local ingredients like lengmaser and fermented soya bean paste and the spicy bird's eye chili, add flavour to the otherwise bland stew.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Sujata Shukla

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Cauliflower leaves or Pumpkin leaves and Bean Leaves
  • ½ cup Cauliflower stalks or brinjal, ladies finger
  • 1.5 cups Cauliflower florets Florets, stalks and leaves together 300 gms
  • cup french beans (50 gms)
  • 1 potato 1 cup sliced
  • 1 green chili
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon akhuni (Fermented soybean paste) or sodium bircarbonate or indigenous soda- see the above post
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons rice

Optional ingredients if available

  • 1 tablespoon Mizo cheese fermented pork
  • Lengmaser/ Lomba see above post for details

Instructions

Preparation

  • Cauliflower: Wash and shred the leaves after separating them from the stalks. Split thick stalks lengthwise and slice into 1" pieces Separate florets into smaller pieces for easy cooking
  • Beans: Trim, remove the strings at the sides and slice into 1" pieces Potatoes: Peel and dice into 1" long chunks Green chili: split along its length without slicing into two Rice: Wash, drain and set aside till required.

Making the Mizo Bai

  • Bring water to boil, in a pan Reduce heat and add the soda or fermented bean paste Add a little salt. The water will froth. Keep the pan on low heat and wait for the frothing to subside.
  • Add potato slices and cauliflower florets, stalks and leaves. Add the green chili Add the slices of beans and stir it all well. Add the drained rice and again stir.
  • Raise the heat and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. The vegetables should be tender and the water absorbed. Check for seasoning and add a little more salt if required. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.