Bhindi Masala

Bhindi  / Okra / Vendakkai / Ladies’ Fingers  is my all time favourite. I had found it very tricky to cook this vegetable when I started cooking years back. Whenever I used to cook it, it used to turn mushy. Now I am confident enough to cook it after so many mistakes.

Tip for you – Always make sure you dry the vegetable with a paper towel and make it dry (or air dry them) to avoid a slimy and mushy dish.

In this recipe, after frying the Okra, I have fried them lightly to give  a nice texture to the dish. This is very simple and can be made within 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Wash the Bhindi / Okra / Vendakkai nicely and dry. When it is completely dry, chop them into 2 inch long pieces.

2. In a pan, add half the amount of oil and fry the Bhindi in small batches. Drain them on to a paper towel and keep aside.

3. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and add mustard seeds. Allow them to crackle and then add garlic.

4. When the garlic turns brown, add chopped onions.

5. After the onions are light brown in colour, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook them until they are mushy. You can add little water if you like.

6.Add the spice powders except the Garam Masala powder to the tomatoes. Add a little water and the necessary salt. Cook this on a low flame for 2 – 3 minutes.

7. Add the fried okra pieces into the tomato gravy and mix carefully. Add the Garam Masala now and allow  it to cook for another 5 minutes keeping the flame very very low.

8. Add the coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti..