Bharwan Bhindi/ Stuffed Okra

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     Bhindi / Okra stuffed gets cleaned off plates easily, around here.  The stuffed okra recipe is simple, but time consuming because it's cooked on low heat.   You can use store-bought masala to stuff the okra or home-made.  Since I seldom buy store bought masala, I have something you can put together at home with out a branded sambar or chana masala powder.



    The key to making this dish is to make sure the stuffing is well cooked.  Since the okra tends to brown easily it's challenging, however, cooking on low heat helps.



Look who was visiting this morning! He is always around, digging holes in my planters.




Ingredients:
Okra       - 30 nos washed and dried; the head chopped off
Onions    - 1
Tomato   - 1
Cummin - 1/2 tspn
Coriander Powder - 1 Tbspn
Chili Powder   - 1 Tbspn (if you want it milder use less)
Asafoetida - 1/8th tspn
Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Besan (Chickpea flour) - 1 tspn
Aamchoor/ (Dry Mango Powder) - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1 Tbspn

Method:
1. Dry toast all the powders on low heat and with little water make a paste
2. Slit the okra on one side and stuff the masala
4. Heat the pan and add 1 Tbspn oil 
5. Arrange the okra with the open-stuffed side facing up
6. Keep the heat at the lowest and cook the okra covered for 10 minutes checking in between to make sure the bottom is not burning
7. Gently toss without displacing the masala or turning the okra fully for another 5 minutes or so
8. The color should change from the bright green of the vegetable to a more cooked dull green
9. Turn around all the orka now and cook again for 5 minutes toss a little and continue cooking
10.  Make sure the masala does not burn
11. Once the okra is cooked, add onions and fry for a few minutes followed by tomato like I have done today or if you want the onions and tomatoes to be crispy
12. Take the okra out, heat 1/2 tbspn oil and add cummin seeds and splutter followed by onions and stir fry on high for a minute
13. Add chopped tomatoes and fry on high to brown the edges but keeping the shape
14. Toss this over the fried stuff okra and squeeze about 1/4 of  a lemon and serve


Notes:  You can serve this dish with roti's or rice.
2. I added the cumin seeds with the powder and finished off with step 11 when I cooked today.

Bhindi/Okra/ Ladies Finger Fry

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I got introduced to this dish during our stay in Hyderabad. This is a must have item in the marriage feasts in Telangana region. We liked the taste and got the recipe from our Telugu friends. The original recipe calls for sun drying the okra and then deep frying it in oil. My Telugu friends add a lot of chilli powder too. I don't have to point out this fact to the people who knows about the Telengana cuisine, it is quite tasty and SPICY :-) I have tweaked the original to fit our style. But you could try the original version , by sun drying followed by deep frying,if you wish.



I wanted to take a click when I was done with the dish and went to our patio deck to capture the best light. My little one who is a "curious George", also followed me. He started playing in the yard and I had to go back to get my camera.Then I heard him screaming with joy and came back running, thinking that he might be done with the fry and my bowl :-) But to my surprise I saw a wild bunny sitting next to him.The cute bunny looked very friendly and the happiness on my little guy's face was priceless. I felt close to nature and wilderness!




Getting back to the point,this fry is a hit in our family now. Though my daughter prefers to have more peanuts in it, she likes the okra too

Ingredients

Ladies finger/Okra- 1lb(450gm)
Garlic(crushed/grated)- 8-10 cloves
Red chilli powder- 1tsp
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Peanut-2 Tbsp
Salt
Oil-3 Tbsp

Method

1.Wash the okra and dry it.(Water makes it sticky)
2.Cut the okra into small pieces
3.Heat oil in a pan and fry the peanuts.
4.Take out the peanuts when it is done.
5.Throw in the crushed garlic into the oil and saute it.
6.To this add chilli powder,turmeric, salt and chopped okra.
7.Mix well and cover with a lid.
8.Cook on medium heat till the okra is half cooked.
9.Take out the lid and let the okra get fried.
10.Add the fried peanuts and mix well.



Contribitor: Namitha

Ladies Finger/Okra baked and tossed in fried onions

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I have to confess that V (my husband) is not huge on vegetarian food. However, from the time I know him he raves and rants about ladies finger. He had them in some delectable masala a long time back, from where I don't know, and fell in love with it. From then I try variations of okra always keeping in mind to keep the shape and kill that characteristic sliminess of this vegetable when not done properly. One of the experiments that comes close to achieving the desired result is as in the recipe that follows. This one is rather dry so make the dal curry 'Gul' mentioned in our blog yesterday and have the ladies finger served with it.


Ingredients:
Ladies Finger/ Okra   - 1 pound (450 grams)
Worcestershire sauce - 2 tbspn
Pepper - 1 tspn
Onion - 1 medium size
Kanoji/ Onion seed - 1/4 tspn
Chili powder - 1 tspn
Oil - 1 tbspn

Method
1. Wash and pat dry Ladies finger/ okra.
2. Cut the head off and slit till the end and still keeping it together
3. Marinate with ingredients 2 and 3 and salt
4. Spread it on a cookie sheet which is sprayed on lined with oil.
5. Bake at 350 F (150 degree C) for 30 minutes or till Ladies finger/ okra is tender
5. Heat oil in a pan, splutter onion seeds
6. Add onions and on a low fire cook till translucent
7. Add chili powder and turmeric and some sauce or vinegar or plain water to keep the masala from burning (just a sprinkle)
8. Add your baked Okra in and mix well making sure you don't lose the shape or mash the okra
9. Allow the vegetable and masala to blend
Serve with roti or rice and dal curry.
P.S: In case you don't want to use the oven pat dry the ladies finger and add to the pan once the masala is prepared with ingredients 2 and 3 in the masala and not marinated in okra


Contributor: Sunitha