Stir-Fried Bhindi

by been

Servings: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

*Okra, chopped (small rounds): I used fresh okra - hard to find in the bigger supermarkets, more likely to find at a neighbourhood grocer. Buy a lot because when cooked, the okra shrinks. You could also use frozen - 2 packages. [Note on cutting okra: it's slimy, so you need a sharp knife for the fresh ones. Keep rinsing the knife in between chopping. Make sure you cut off the tips)

* vegetable oil (do NOT skimp on the oil)
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1/2 tomato, chopped
* salt
* few tbsp cumin (depending on your tastes)
* lime/lemon juice to taste
* dried chili peppers, chopped, or chili powder (however much you can stand!)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large saucepan or pot, saute the onions on medium high heat. Add the salt, cumin and chili powder/peppers once onions are translucent.

Add the okra and tomatoes. Fry until the okra is very well done, stirring often. Note the gooey, web-like strands. The okra will go from raw green to bright green to a darker green. It will also have shrunk considerably. If you don't end up using enough oil (like me), you'll have to stir even more.

Sprinkle with lime/lemon juice and serve with bread (chapati is best; pita or naan would also go okay; or some other bread). Goes well with masoor ki dal.

CHEF COMMENTS

Stir-fried bhindi (okra or ladyfingers) was always a family favourite at our house. The mildly sweet-ish flavour and somewhat slimy (but in a good way) texture of the vegetable, combined with some choice flavouring, made for a tasty dish.

A few days ago, I made it for the first time. It's actually pretty easy - but took a while to cook through. I'd consider bhindi more of a side dish because it's hard (expensive) to make in large quantities.

* I use fresh okra - hard to find in the bigger supermarkets, more likely to find at a neighbourhood grocer. Buy a lot because when cooked, the okra shrinks.

Tagged: bhindibajhi, indian add tags

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