Ingredients

• 2 cups Cauliflower leaves or Pumpkin leaves and Bean leaves
• ½ cup Cauliflower stalks or ½ cup Brinjal or Ladies Finger
• 1½ cups Cauliflower florets (combined total of leaves, stalks and florets: approx. 300 g)
• ⅔ cup French beans (50 g)
• 1 Potato (approx. 1 cup, diced)
• 1 Green chilli (slit lengthwise)
• 4 cups Water
• 1 tsp Akhuni (fermented soybean paste) or Indigenous soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• ½ tsp Salt or to taste
• 2 tbsp Rice (washed and drained)

• 1 tbsp Mizo cheese or Fermented pork
• Lengmaser or Lomba

Method

• Separate the cauliflower leaves, stalks and florets. Shred the leaves, split thick stalks lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces. Divide the florets into small, even sizes.
• Trim and de-string the French beans, then cut into 1-inch slices. Peel the potato and dice into 1-inch pieces. Slit the green chilli lengthwise without cutting it into two. Wash and drain the rice, then set it aside.
• In a pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the fermented soybean paste or soda. Add salt. Let it simmer gently until the frothing subsides.
• Add the diced potatoes, cauliflower florets, stalks, leaves and green chilli to the pot. Then stir in the sliced beans.
• Add the washed rice to the mixture and stir once more. Raise the heat to bring the contents to a boil.
• Lower the heat and allow the stew to simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should be tender and the rice fully cooked. Most of the water should be absorbed.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If using, stir in the optional Mizo cheese, fermented pork, Lengmaser or Lomba at the end. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.