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Indian

Bai

Vegetarian

Mizoram's everyday mild stew of greens, pumpkin, aubergine and bamboo shoot, softened with a pinch of soda in the traditional way. Plain, nourishing and eaten with rice at almost every meal.

Bai is an Indian curry, ready in about 40 minutes and made with mustard greens and bamboo shoots. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
48

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring the water to the boil with the ginger, green chillies and the pinch of soda (bicarbonate).

  2. Step 2

    Add the pumpkin (opens in a new tab), aubergine (opens in a new tab), bamboo shoots (opens in a new tab) and beans and simmer until the pumpkin is nearly soft.

    • 12 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the greens and salt and simmer until the greens are very soft and the broth slightly thickened by the pumpkin (opens in a new tab).

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Mizoram, India · Well documentedTraditionally made with 'chingal' (ash-filtered water) and often with a little fermented pork (sa-um).More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Stews & braises · Soups
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
mild, earthy, fresh
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Mustard greens · Bamboo shoots · Pumpkin · Eggplant · Fresh ginger · Green chilli
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

48 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 409 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 70%
  • Fat 8%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy48 kcal12 kcal
Protein3.2 g0.8 g
Carbohydrate10.1 g2.5 g
Net carbohydrate6.3 g1.5 g
Sugars4.2 g1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.8 g0.9 g
Fat0.5 g0.1 g
Saturated fat0.1 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium683 mg167 mg
Salt equivalent1.7 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
542 mg
Calcium
112 mg
Iron
1.7 mg
Magnesium
39 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
310 µg
Vitamin C
57 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
26 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green beans.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use only a small pinch of soda — too much tastes soapy.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the greens too early — they turn grey and mushy.

Serve with

  • Ladle over plain rice with a chilli chutney on the side.

Storage

  • Best fresh; keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Bring back to a simmer.

Variations

  • Bai with pork: Add a few pieces of pork, fresh or fermented (sa-um), at the start for a richer broth.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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