I have said before, that bhindi / okra is one of the commonly cooked vegetables at home. Everyone likes it, and it is always a good addition to a whole Indian meal. Since it is such a versatile vegetable, you can cook it in several different ways. And if you are not a big fan of bhindi by itself as a vegetarian dish, you could always dunk in a handful in meat stews, soups or sambar simply for its health benefits.
Here is another commonly prepared dish in India – bhindi masala. I am sure everyone cooks it their own way, some with more spices, some with less; and surely everyone chops their okra differently! I made this a while ago along with the Bidari paratha. It has been pending since. The combination was simple and delicious. It also goes well with roti, rice and dal.
Firstly ensure that you have good fresh okra. I have explained method to select good Okras here…
Wash them thoroughly and let it dry completely before you begin to chop them. His helps in avoiding the sticky mess. You can pat them dry with a cloth or kitchen towel.
Drizzle some oil in a pan and fry the bhindi till lightly browned on some sides.
Remove the okra from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, heat some more oil and throw in some cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the chopped onions.
Add the chilli, turmeric, coriander and garam masala powder. Mix well. Add crushed ginger, garlic and red chili. Saute for 2-3 minutes
Add chopped tomato and fry till the tomato is soft.
Lastly add the fried bhindi and salt, mix well and cook for a 1- 2 minutes. Okra cooks fast. A good stir and couple of minutes is more than enough. Check if you are comfortable with the bite, or you can let it fry for a few more seconds.
Servings 2