THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF...BHINDI MASALA

  LET ME TAKE YOU ON A MAGICAL OKRA JOURNEY

                  

the pretty okra flower.....

                   

turns into fresh-green okra.....

        

is sliced into roundels....

            

with the addition of these.....

(from left to right row -cumin pwdr, salt, red-chilli, turmeric, amchur, and garam-masala)

TURNS INTO THIS - DELICIOUS BHINDI MASALA!

now for the recipe....

Ingredients-

• okra- 1/2 kg
• onion-1 large
• cumin powder-1 tsp
• red chilli-1/2 tsp.
• turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.
• amchur(dried mango pwdr.)-1 tsp
• garam masala-1 tsp
• salt- acc. to taste
• oil- 2 tbsp.

Method-

Heat oil in a heavy bottom skillet, add the okra and chopped onion,cover and cook till okra is tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, stirring occassionally , be careful not to stir too much as it will cause more of the sticky stuff to ooze out.

Lastly add all the spices and salt ,give a quick stir and serve hot with chapatis or paranthas .

Tips for handling okra-

For a beginner making okra  for the first time it can turn into a nightmarish experience if proper precautions are not taken, these are some tips I have found useful-

• Always wash and DRY the okra before starting whether on paper towels or under the fan, the drier the okra is the less gummy liquid it will ooze out, i have even discovered that cutting it up and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for a day also helps.
• Try to keep the stirring to a minimum because that causes the okra to break up and again more gum
• Always buy fresh,tender okra that snaps easily and is not too big or hard  to the touch.
• Always add salt and spices at the end of the cooking process