Indian Bhindi (Okra)
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 2-4
I am not of Indian descent in any form or fashion, but if I had been given a choice of where to be born, it probably would have been India. I. Love. Curry. I enjoy the spices of the country and culture. Their cuisine is so aromatic and flavorful. Our small town has a couple of excellent Indian restaurants and my family gets to enjoy them on occasion. I will be happy to admit that I cannot quite replicate the flavors I’ve had at these restaurants, but I have certainly tried my hand at it.
The orange Le Creuset pan in the picture was my grandmother’s. I am thrilled to be able to have it in my conglomerate of pans. It’s still in great condition. There’s a wooden handle that’s not pictured, which I love about it. I hope it’s something my kids treasure, too, one day.
I really enjoyed this dish; actually, I ate it all. It doesn’t make a lot, but you can double the recipe for more people.
I stumbled upon this gorgeous red okra at one of our farmer’s market stores. I had never seen any other color other than green. Come to find out, it loses its color as it cooks and turns green, just like the traditional okra.
Some people cannot get past the “sliminess” of okra. There are ways around it. Huffpost.com gives a short and simple explanation of the how’s and why’s okra is slimy and a couple of ways to get around it in your cooking. They suggest cooking quickly and on high heat. Okra doesn’t need a slow cooking process, which is nice because it makes this meal quick and ready in a short matter of time so you can get it on your plate soon!
Fresh ginger and garlic are a must in this recipe in order to really get the flavors of Indian cuisine. Peel your ginger root before using. You can use a vegetable peeler or the tip of a spoon to scrape off the thin skin.
(Little tip about ginger… it makes a lovely tea when you are feeling a cold coming on, or while you’re in the midst of one. 1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger steeped for about 20 minutes in 2 cups of boiling water, then add lemon juice and honey to taste. Ah. Very satisfying and comforting when you need it.)
Fresh tomato and hot chile peppers are found in many Indian dishes. These are also ingredients you don’t want to skimp on. Every spice and every ingredient has a purpose and the results are incredible in your mouth!
Indian Bhindi (Okra)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- pinch hing
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 3 hot chiles, seeded and cut into long strips
- 1/4 cup red onion, small diced
- 1 large fresh tomato, diced
- 1 pound okra, trimmed and cut into 1" chunks
- 6 fresh curry leaves, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon amchur powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the ghee.
- Once melted, add the mustard and cumin seeds and heat until the seeds seem to be popping.
- Add hing, turmeric, and chili powder. Stir and allow the oils from the spices to become aromatic, about another 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger, stir.
- Add hot chiles, onion, and tomato. Stir gently and allow to soften for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add okra and curry leaves and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.
- Add amchur powder and stir again, and allow to cook for another minute or two.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve warm.
Notes
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