OKRA
Bengali Shorshe Dharos
1lb/450 g whole fresh okra
1 tbs black mustard seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
ghee for frying
1/8 tsp nigella seed (kala jeera)
2 hot green chillies
Wash the okra and pat it dry. Cut off the very tips of the pods. Peel the thicker top. Grind the black and yellow mustard seeds then add the turmeric, chilli powder, salt and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water. Stir to mix. Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the kala jeera. Ten seconds later, put in the okra and stir. Stir and fry the okra on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the spice mixture and the green chillies. Bring to a simmer. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 5-8 minutes or until the okra is tender.
Bhindi Masalewale (Okra in Spicy Gravy)
1 pound tender okra (bhindi)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 cup coconut
3 tbsps coriander leaves
1/2 cup tamarind juice
3 green chillies
1 tsp asofoetida
2 tbsps ghee
Salt to taste
Make a paste of the coconut and tamarind juice. Add salt to taste. Mix in the minced ginger and green chillies, chopped. Add coriander leaves. Wash and dry the bhindis. Cut off the tips and stalks. Slit each down to 3/4th of it's length. Mix the pastes with coriander leaves and stuff the bhindis with the mixture. Heat ghee and fry the turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder and salt to taste. Brown. Arrange the stuffed bhindis over this masala. Cover with a deep lid and pour water into the pot. Cook on a low flame till bhindis are tender.
Capsicum-Okra Fry
Capsicum 1 large
½ pound Okra
1 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp sabji masala
sprig curry leaves
Ghee for frying
Wash capsicum and okra and cut into small pieces and set aside. Heat ghee in a heavy pan, add capsicum and okra then deep fry them till brownish. Add turmeric, salt, red chilli powder and sabji masala, and last add curry leaves. Fry till nicely done.
Crispy Bhindi
1 pound Bhindi
2 tsp. chopped green chilies
1 tsp. Chaat Masala
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Asofoetida
2 tbsp. Coriander leaves (Chopped)
1 tsp. Red chilies
Salt to taste
Ghee for Frying
Cut bhindi (okra) into thin long slices and deep fry till crisp and golden. Deseed green chilies and slice them. Heat a little ghee and add cumin seeds, green chilies and bhindi (okra) toss slightly. Add the remaining ingredients. Garnish with coriander leaves and offer hot.
Dahi Masala Bhindi
2 pounds Ladyfinger
1 cup Grated Coconut
1/3 cup Water
1/3 cup Milk
1 Tbsp Cashewnuts
Ghee for deep frying
2 Whole Red Chilli
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds (Sarson)
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 cup Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Chaat Masala
1 Tsp Asofoetida
1 Tsp Salt
4 Tsp Urad Dal
½ cup Curd, well beaten
Few Curry Leaves
Grated Coconut
Coriander Leaves
Cut Ladyfinger in 1 inch cubes. Deep fry in hot ghee and drain well. Set aside. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add whole red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. Saute well till they start to crackle. Next add tomatoes and fry well. Add red chilli powder, chaat masala, asofoetida, salt and mix well. Make a paste of the coconut, milk and cashewnuts. Next add curd and the coconut paste and mix well. Add water and mix. Next add the deep fried Ladyfinger to the gravy and mix well. Cook on a low flame and check the water consistency. Heat a little ghee and fry the curry leaves then pour over the gravy. Serve hot garnished with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.
Dum Bhindi
1 pound lady finger (bhindi)
1 cup curd
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tsp. pounded red chilies
2 tsp. chopped green chilies
4 tsp. ghee
4 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. ghee
Salt according to taste
Using a mixer, blend together curd, garam masala powder, salt, pounded red chilies and half of the chopped green chilies. Clean and trim the bhindi. Make slits in the bhindi with a knife. Soak in the curd mixture and keep aside for 20 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan. Add ginger paste, the remaining green chilies, turmeric powder and fry well. Add bhindi along with the curd mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Sprinkle Ghee and a little garam masala powder on top of the bhindi. Cover the pan with a lid. Steam on a low heat for five minutes. Remove the lid and cook for 10 minutes till almost dry. Serve hot.
Gujarati Dahi Kadhi
2-½ cups whole milk yoghurt
5 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped green chilli
20 small ladyfingers (bhindi)
3 tablespoons sugar
salt to taste
2 tablespoons ghee
10 cloves
1-½ teaspoons fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida
20 curry leaves
Whisk the yoghurt and add the gram flour. Mix well with 4 cups water. Puree the ginger and chilli together. Wash the okra and trim the stems to minimum without cutting into the vegetable. Bring the yoghurt mixture to the boil in a cooking pot. Add the ginger and green chilli puree, the sugar, salt to taste (about 1 tablespoon) and okra. Heat the ghee in a ladle and fry the cloves, the fenugreek and cumin seeds, for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and add the asafetida. Immediately add the yoghurt mixture with the curry leaves. Cook for a total 15-20 minutes or until the ladyfingers are tender. Instead of ladyfinger you can use of white radish cut into short pieces.
Hyderabadi Chinidi
2 pounds Ladyfinger
Ghee for frying
3 Tbsp Ghee for gravy
2 Tsp White Gram Lentils (Hindi Dhuli Urad Dal)
1 Tsp Black Mustard
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
4 Dry Red Chilli
2 sprigs Curry Leaves
1 Tbsp Ginger-Green Chilli Paste
2 Tomatoes
½ Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Asofoeida
1-½ Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Mango Powder
½ cup grated Coconut
10 Pieces of Cashewnuts
½ cup well beaten Curd
1-½ cups Water
3 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
2 Tsp Sambhar Powder
Chopped Coriander Leaves
Remove the tips of the Bhindis and cut lengthwise into halves. Shallow fry them in hot ghee and drain well on a tissue. For the Gravy, make a paste of the coconut and cashewnuts. In a little ghee, lightly fry the urad dal, mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilli. Add green chilli and ginger paste and saute well. Next add chopped tomatoes and fry well. Add the spices and sauté till the gravy is cooked. Add dahi (curd) and coconut paste and mix well. Add the Bhindis to it and then add sater and sambhar powder and mix. Add coriander leaves into the mix, and as a garnish, and offer.
Okra Peanut Fry
1 pound ladies fingers (Okra)
3 Green chillies chopped
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
1 tsp Chat masala
2 tsp Dhania powder
1/3 cup Cashewnuts
¼ cup Peanuts
Ghee for deep frying
Salt to taste
Wash the ladies fingers and cut them into roundels with a width of 1 cms. Deep fry the ladies fingers and keep them aside. In the same ghee deep fry the cashewnuts but see to it they do not get burnt. Also fry the peanuts. Roughly crush the nuts and set aside to cooling. In a little hot ghee fry the curry leaves. Add the green chillies and fry well. Add the remaining seasonings except for the chat masala. Add the ladies fingers and the nuts. Mix roughly and heat for few minutes. Avoid burning all the masalas. When hot add the chat masala and offer.
Sri Lanka Curried Okra
1 pound Okra
5 tblsp ghee
2 tblsp mustard
1 tblsp unroasted curry powder
1 tblsp turmeric
1 tblsp asofoetida
1 green pepper
½ tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
1 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp lime juice
Dice green pepper. Wash okra and dry with paper towels. Add ghee to a pan on medium heat. Fry the okra until golden brown. Then add mustard, turmeric, curry powder, green pepper, cinnamon, salt and sugar and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Offer.
Tamil Vendaikkai (Okra) Curry
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - ¼ tsp
Ghee - 2 tbs
Tamarind Juice - 1/3 cup
Vendaikkai (Okra) - 1 pound
Cut the vegetable into small pieces and mix 1/2 tbsp ghee and microwave for about 5 - 6 minutes. Heat up another 1 tbsp ghee in a deep pan and add the urad dhal and mustard. After the seeds have cracked, add the okra and stir. Sprinkle some tamarind water all over and cover and simmer for some time. Stir once in a while and add the tamarind water in between. Cook until the color changes from green to a slight golden color. Add the salt and the chilly powder and simmer for 2 more minutes. Stir gently. This will prevent the seeds from coming out of the okra and will also prevent mashing the vegetable.
Vendakka Mulakittathu
Lady's finger 1 pound
Tomatoes (chopped) 2 medium
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Coconut oil (or ghee) 2 tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Asofoetida 1 tsp
Tamarind (the size of a small lime)
Mustard ¼ tsp
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Salt to taste
Wash and cut the lady's finger into thin, round pieces. Cut the chillies into round pieces. Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice. Heat the ghee. Add the lady's finger, fry lightly and remove. Add the mustard. When it crackles, add the chillies. Add the chilli, turmeric, curry leaves and salt. Stir and add tamarind juice. Boil for a few minutes. Add the lady's finger and a little more water. Cook for few seconds and remove from the fire.
