This dish adds spice and colour to our Indian Cuisine. This favourite side dish, an excellent accompaniment for rice or rotis, is made often at my home. This recipe that I have prepared is a simple form of stuffed okras; here I have only used dry masalas (as they are always readily available). The other method, in which I also prepare this dish is with freshly grated coconut(used for the stuffing) and also sesame seeds. But as the dish(Aloo Nazaakat) which accompanied this, during our meal, also had coconut and sesame seeds I avoided the same here. Though a simple preparation, the spicy flavour coats the taste buds and makes your meal so complete.
Ingredients:
- 500 gm okra/lady’s finger
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp dry mango powder
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp whole spice powder
- A pinch of Asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- Oil
Optional
- ¾ cup Besan Flour(gram flour)
- 2-3 tsp freshly grated coconut
Method
- Wash and pat dry the okras with a clean cloth. Remove the stem/ends and slit them vertically.
- To prepare the stuffing: In a bowl, mix well all the dry masala powders together.
- Stuff this dry mixture in the slits of the okra. If you over-stuff the bhindi, the extra filling tends to ooze out while cooking and begins to char.
- Heat oil in a pan, add the hing/asafoetida. Now place the stuffed okras in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes.(if the okra is tender cook for lesser time)
- Turn the okras gently in intervals so that it gets cooked evenly on all sides.
- Add more oil only if necessary. To make it crisp, let it simmer for 5 more minutes without the lid.
- Serve hot with rice or rotis/paranthas/naans.
Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Note: If including the optional ingredients (coconut or gram flour) add this along with the dry masalas for the stuffing.