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Bai
Vegetable and bamboo shoot stew
Mizo vegetable stew with bamboo shoot and greens, cooked with a little soda
Bai is the everyday dish of Mizoram, cooked in Aizawl homes almost daily: a stew of greens such as mustard leaves or pumpkin leaves, bamboo shoot, pumpkin and beans, boiled in water with a pinch of soda (traditionally 'chingal', an ash-filtered alkali) that softens the greens. It has almost no oil and little spice, and often a spoonful of pork fat goes in; this vegetarian version leaves it out and adds a little more ginger. Bai is light, green and soothing, eaten with rice and a chilli dip. Chef's tip: add the soda with the greens, not before, and only a pinch; too much turns the stew slimy.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 5 ½ oz bamboo shoot (fresh boiled or tinned)sliced, rinsed
- 7 oz pumpkin2 cm chunks
- 3 ½ oz long beans or green beanscut in 4 cm lengths
- 1 small aubergine2 cm chunks
- 7 oz mustard greens or spinachroughly chopped
- 1 ⅛ in gingercrushed
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 spring onionschopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil with 1 ⅛ in ginger, 2 green chillies and 1 tsp salt. Add 5 ½ oz bamboo shoot (fresh boiled or tinned) and simmer 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Add 7 oz pumpkin, 3 ½ oz long beans or green beans and 1 small aubergine and simmer for 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
10 minStep 3: Add 7 oz mustard greens or spinach and 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda, stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes until the greens are soft and the broth has turned slightly cloudy and green. Common mistake: adding a big spoon of soda; it should be a pinch, just enough to soften the leaves.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 2 spring onions and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bai take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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