Masala Bhindi (Okra/Ladyfinger Cooked With Spices)

Masala Bhindi (Okra cooked with spices)

Bhindi is also known as Lady Finger and Okra. It can be cooked in various methods. I have already blogged Stuffed okra and Bhindi made in Kumauni (Pahari bhindi) style. My daughter in – law likes all forms of bhindi but masala bhindi is her specialty and she makes it to perfection. I share the recipe for the perfect masala bhindi which she makes.

Preparation Time:15 min.

Cooking time : 30 min.

Servings: 6 medium size serves

Ingredients Required for Making Masala Bhindi:

• 500 gm. Bhindi/Okra/Lady finger

Bhindi /Lady finger / Okra

• 250 gm. Onions

Onion

• 250 gm. Red Tomatoes

Tomatoes

• 1 tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 2-3 Whole Red Chilies

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 1/2 Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1Tea spoon Amchur Powder (Dry raw mango powder)

• 1/2Tea spoon Garam masala

• Salt to taste

• 10 ml. olive oil /Mustard oil any cooking oil

Directions For making Masala Bhindi:

• Wash and dry the bhindi.

• Remove the tip and base from bhindi and cut them to 1/2cm. thick rounds.

Bhindi cut to 1/2 cm. thick rounds

• Cut onions finely.

Finely cut onions

•  Cut tomatoes fine.

Cut Tomatoes

• Heat 5 ml. oil in a thick bottom wok.

• When the oil is smoking hot lower the flame and add cumin seeds and whole red chilies.

Cumin seeds Whole red Chilies in hot oil

• Cumin seeds will splutter and red chilies will change the color in 30 sec.

• Add cut bhindi in it and mix nicely.

• Cook on low flame with regular gentle stirring.

• Take another thick bottom wok and heat  5 ml. oil in it.

• Add finely cut onions in it and cook on low flame.

Bhindi added to oil and spices and being cooked with out salt

• Cook the onions and bhindi side by side to save time.

Finely cut onions being cooked on low flame

• When the onions are cooked to softness and to transparent state then add finely cut tomatoes in it.

To onions cooked to transparent state finely cut tomatoes are added

• Mix nicely and cook on low flame till tomatoes get cooked. The cooking of onions and tomatoes will take approximately 20 min.

Onion and tomato mixture ready for Bhindi to be added

• By the time tomatoes and onions are cooking bhindi will also be cooked.

Bhindi ready to be added to onion masala

• To check if the bhindi is ready to be added to tomato and onion, its texture should become soft and the slimy liquid should not be seen in bhindi. It will take approximately 20 min.

Bhindi and onion tomato mixture being cooked side by side 

• Add partially cooked bhindi to onion and tomato mixture and mix thoroughly but gently.

Bhindi added to the onion and tomato mixture and mixed

• Add salt, red chili powder, amchur, turmeric powder, garam masala and mix nicely.

Salt,Turmeric,Red chili powder,Amchur, garam masala added

• Cook on low flame without covering with regular mixing and gentle stirring for 2-3 min.

Spices mixed and cooked for 10 min

• Remove the cooked vegetable in a serving bowl and serve with roti/paranthas/puri.

Masala Bhindi

Tips:

• Bhindi should be completely dry before cutting.

• Salt should never be added to bhindi while cooking till the slimy liquid is there.

• Mix salt and other spices only when semi cooked bhindi has been added to  cooked onion tomato mixture.

• Cook on low flame and do not cover at any stage.

• This vegetable tastes best with mustard oil but olive oil is other healthy option but oil can be changed as per choice and eating habit.

Suggested Variations:

• Bhindi can be cut to 1 cm. pieces and then deep fried till they change color to dark green not brown and kept aside. Mix these deep fried bhindi in onion tomato mixture and cook.

• Amchur can be replaced by fresh lemon juice. If one is using lemon juice then it should be added and mixed in last and after adding lemon juice the vegetable should be cooked for just one minute.

Pahari Bhindi (lady finger /OkraMade in Kumauni Style)

Pahari Bhindi

We Kumauni people treat Aloo (potato) like king of all vegetables in real sense, that is why in any and every vegetable potato is added and that changes the taste of cooked vegetable completely. Potatoes are not only rich in carbs and calories(80 k cal / 100gm potatoes) but also contain Vitamin C, protein, and antioxidants.which help fight cancer. Potatoes are said to stimulate brain activities also. Bhindi is rich in dietary fibers and very low in calories (30 cal./ 100 gm approximately). So the dish of Bhindi (okra / Lady Finger) I am going to tell you does have potato accompanying the main vegetable Bhindi.

My daughter in laws one of the favorite dish and of course mine, as far as I am concerned anything which has even a small bit of Kumaon in it is my favorite, as I am true blood Pahari.

Preparation Time: 25min.

Cooking Time:30min.

Servings: 8-10 Medium helpings

Ingredients required for making Pahari Bhindi:

• 500gm. Bhindi (Okra / Lady Finger)

Bhindi (Lady Fingers / Okra)

• 2 Medium size Potatoes (100-150gm.approximately)

• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 1/2Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 2-3 Whole Red chilies

• Pinch of Asefoetida

• 1/2Tea spoon Garam Masala

• 1 Lemon

• Salt to Taste

• 15 ml. Mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)

Direction for Making Pahari Bhindi:

• Wash and towel dry the bhindi.

• Cut off the tip and the lower end of bhindi and keep the bhindi in a dry container.

Tips and base of Bhindi removed

• Cut the bhindi to 1cm. thick round pieces.

Bhindi cut to small pieces

• Peel, wash and cut potatoes to small (1cm.) pieces.

Potatoes cut to small pieces

• Take oil in a thick bottom wok and heat on high flame.

• Add

• Cumin seeds

• Whole red Chili

• Let the cumin seeds splutter and the chilies gain dark red color( not black)

• Add asefoetida

• Add Potato immediately and mix nicely.

• Cook for 2-3 min. with regular stirring.

• Add bhindi mix nicely.

Bhindi added after cooking potatoes for 2-3 min.

•  Add turmeric powder and chili powder and mix.

Turmeric and Red chili Powder added

Mixed nicely after adding Turmeric and Red chili Powder

• Cover and cook with occasional stirring for 10min. (the slimy liquid of Bhindi should dry off)

• Add salt and mix.

Salt added when bhindi becomes dry after cooking for 10 min.

• Cook with occasional stirring for 5 min. without covering.

Bhindi ready for adding  lemon juice and garam masala

• If you and your family like slightly crisp bhindi then cook for another 5-10 min. but without covering and regular stirring.

Bhindi cooked for 10 minutes more for making it crysp

• Squeeze the juice from lemon  

• Add lemon juice and garam masala mix and switch off the gas and cover the cooked bhindi for 5 min.

• Take out in a bowl and serve with roti, paratha, puri, chawal and dal / kadi / dubke…….

Pahari Bhindi

Tips:

• Pahari Bhindi tastes best in mustard oil so try not to change the oil.
  

• Sieve the lemon juice before adding to vegetable to make sure that seeds do not go in the vegetable.

• Pahari bhindi is Pahari because potatoes are added so do not remove potatoes from the recipe.

• Onions are never added in Pahari Bhindi.

• Add salt only after the slimy liquid of bhindi is dry and bhindi pieces separate from each other.

Suggested Variation:

• Use amchur in the absence of lemon.
• Since mustard oil adds roughly 300 cal to this preparation thus those who do not mind compromising with the tangy mustard taste can change to low calory olive oil.