Masala Bhindi - Masala Okra - Masala Vendakai

On my secret trip to Chennai (to relax), I stayed at Srikanth's company guest house. A plush 3 bedroom apartment in Santhome, overlooking the sea. There was a Nepali cook there who was taking care of us. A boy who looked capable of anything but cooking. But I was in for a surprise. He made the simplest possible food which tasted so good that I was not willing to go out and eat.


He would ask me before every meal, 'Ma'am aaj khane mai kya banaoon' (Ma'am what shall I cook today). Hence the Masala Bhindi. He made this in 20mins with hot phulkas (Indian bread). It was heavenly. A big relief from the only way I knew to cook bhindi. Therefore, I thought I'd share this recipe with you all.

Ingredients:

Bhindi /Okra (Chopped 3cm) - 750gm
Onion (Finely chopped) - 1
Tomato (Finely chopped) - 1
Garlic (Crushed) - 3
Chillies (Slit) - 2
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Microwave the chopped Bhindi in a bowl with few drops of oil for 10mins. Stir it and microwave it again for another 10mins.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and the chillies.
• Once they are done, add the tomatoes and fry till nicely done.
• To this add all the dry masalas and stir in nicely for 2mins
• Add the cooked bhindi to this masala and allow it to shallow fry in medium heat for 10-15 mins.
• Masala bhindi is ready to eat.

Serving Suggestion:

You can have this with hot rotis or dal rice

Note:

For healthy option, you can use a non-stick, however, shallow frying the bhindi too long in a non-stick can make it dry.