Light and Lively Bhindi Masala – Stir Fried Okra
A Bhindi Masala, really is a basic flavorful take on okra. Crispy okra meshed with tomatoes and delicate spices.
Crispy okra is on not really an oxymoron on the Indian table, but there is a decent amount of oil involved. I have a killer recipe for this dish in Spices and Seasons, but this time I actually roasted the Okra in a sheet pan. This gave me the desired level of crispness and saved me some time. Yes, my favorite kind of food hack!
The Story of my light and lively Bhindi Masala
The added bonus of this dish is that everyone in my family loves Okra. Possibly why I have just one okra recipe on this site. Well, honestly speaking I do not do too much with the vegetable. The key to good okra is simple. Dry the okra well. We need to cook on high heat with minimal stirring. Shallow frying and or roasting gets you to this objective.
I am still catching up on down time, from all the business of the arangetram. The daughter has been ridiculously busy in school but seems to be thriving on everything. I wish she would learn to relax a little. Easier said than done, given that she is the product of two people who love to stay super busy. I have amassed a large assortment of quick fix dishes which will probably take me longer to make than to transcribe.
Fall has held out longer this year. Maybe to allow me some respite and a chance to savor the lovely colors. It is mom’s first fall. Despite the cold weather she is delighted by the lovely colors of the season. The okra that I made for this was the last of the garden, green, crisp, bright and tender.
Another great okra recipe from my site is this Bhindi Jhalferazi.
An easy rendition of bhindi masala or stir fried okra.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tender okra, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 medium sized red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- 1 teaspoon red cayenne powder
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the okra in a single layer in a large baking sheet and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and the turmeric.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the okra begins to brown on the edges. Watch this with care, as the okra does burn easily.
- In the meantime place the remaining oil in a skillet and add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for about 7 minutes until the onion softens and begins to turn softly golden.
- Add in the powdered cumin, red cayenne powder and the remaining salt with the chopped tomato until the tomato softens. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fold in the roasted okra.
- Sprinkle with the lime juice and cilantro and serve hot.
Okra or Bhindi Jhalferazi - Crisp Okra with Potatoes and Spices
[…] dish has several names and close cousins –Bhindi Masala or Bhindi Do-Piaza come to mind. But today I am talking Bhindi Jhal Ferazi. My first dish is […]