Stuffed Okra / Bharwan Bhindi

Ladies finger / okra is one of my favourites and features at least once a week in my kitchen...Surprisingly, I don't seem to have put up too many recipes with okra here.
Stuffed okra tops the list of al the okra recipes and I realised it had been a really long time since I made these.
There are two types of stuffed okras I make, one is what I learnt after coming to Gujarat - its a mild, flavourful one with besan, coconut and spice powders, the other is what I have here for you today...spicy, tangy and served with fried onions !!



Tava vegetables was a very popular dish at buffet lunches at one point and they are lip-smacking, different vegetables, stuffed with spices and served out straight from the tava. Thats where I had these roasted onions with the okra and they make a lovely pair...

What you need -

15-20 fresh tender okra
2 tbsp cleaned and chopped coriander leaves
2 onions
3-4 tbsp oil

Spice powder
2 tbsp cumin/jeera powder
1 tbsp coriander seed / dhania powder
1.5 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dry mango / amchur powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp aniseed / saunf (whole)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

What you do with it -
Wash the okra, dry them with a kitchen towel
Cut off the two ends and make a slit lengthwise on one side of the okra, without cutting thru it
Keep the okra aside
Chop the onions lengthwise
Mix all the ingredients listed under 'Spice powder' with a tbsp of oil
Add half of the coriander leaves to this
Stuff the okra with the spice powders
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a shallow pan and then add the okra to it
On a low flame, fry the okra till it changes to a dark green colour
Take the okra off the pan and add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan
If you have any of the spice mix remaining, add it to the onions
Once the onions are nice and brown, add the okra back to the pan for a minute and mix with the onions
Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves
You could add the juice of half a lemon to this to make it tangier
Serve hot with rotis/ parathas / rice and dal

Kasuri Methi Bhindi

Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - This is one of my magic herbs ! I just love the smell of it and it just transforms the taste of any vegetable and takes it to a whole new level. The best way to make a regular dal-rice dinner more interesting is to have a nice side dish with kasuri methi in it - the slightly bitter-pungent taste always seems to work for me



I've always used potatoes, cauliflower or a combination of the two with kasuri methi.
The other day, I had bhindi lying around and had made dal-rice for dinner, so tried a kasuri methi bhindi and it tasted so good.
Simple, fast and really yum - good for dinner on a week night.

Sometimes just the way a vegetable is cut makes so much of a difference to way it looks finally. I had this girl who helped out at home in Bangalore and she was always innovative in the way she cut vegetables - she always cut bhindi into longish pieces and slit it into four pieces length-wise. For some reason, I always cut bhindi into round small slices and I loved the way the bhindi looked when cut into these strips. So thats what I did this time...

If you have always avoided bhindi because of the sliminess, just ensure that you wash the okra first, dry it well using a kitchen napkin. Fry it with little oil, and cook without using any water. Always use something sour, like tomatoes, lemon or amchur powder, it helps get rid of that sliminess. Cover with a lid and cook and you really should not have any problems.

What you need -

1/2 kg bhindi
2 onions
1 tomato
2 tsps kasuri methi
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp chaat masala (optional)
2-3 tsps oil
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste

What you do with it -

Wash and wipe the bhindis dry
Cut off the edges and then cut into inch long pieces and slit lengthwise
Chop onions and tomatoes lengthwise
Heat oil in a kadai and add the onions
When they turn a little brown, add the kasuri methi and fry for 2-3 mins
Add bhindis and stir for another 5 mins on medium flame
Add more oil if necessary
Add salt and all other powders except the chaat masala
Stir and allow bhindi to cook
When the bhindi is almost done, add the tomato pieces
Cook for 2 more mins and turn off the heat
Sprinkle chaat masala and lemon juice on top and serve hot