I am a born again vegetarian, so it goes without saying that I love my veggies. But there are a few notable exceptions to that rule. One of the more prominent of those are bhindi or okra or lady’s fingers … in true shakespearean style a okra by any other name would still be just that… unpalatable. I lucked out when the man of my dreams also disliked them with equal fervor. We were two peas in a pod, happy and united in our mutual dislike for bhindi (okra). But then as is wont, the cruel world intervened…his parents love…like absolutely adore bhindi (okra). So we suffered through many lunches and dinners, mixing it with curd or sev or pretending it was something else….but nothing really worked. And then one day while I was reading something about amalgamation, a brain wave struck. A germ of an idea, to make the dreaded bhindi (okra) go down a bit more smoothly.

I love all sorts of stuffed food, the textual play fascinates me. So the typical stuffing for bhindi (okra) in Gujarat (where I am from) is spiced besan (finely ground bengal gram flour). But the smooth pasty texture of the mix and the inherent sliminess (for the lack of a better word) of the bhindi (okra) sort of compliment each other and make it very….. meh. So I added a bit of twist 🙂 Intrigued? Read on

What goes in to in

300 gms of Bhindi / Okra / Lady’s fingers slit length-wise with both tips intact

2 medium sized onions chopped, in rather big pieces

1 small handful of channa dal (bengal gram, split and skinned) soaked in water for about 20 minutes

3 heaped tablespoons of coarsely ground raw peanuts

3 heaped tablespoons of besan (finely ground bengal gram flour)

3 heaped tablespoons of dessicated coconut

1 large green finely chopped green chilly

2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander

3 teaspoons of red chilli powder (use more or less depending on your palate)

2 teaspoons of turmeric

4 teaspoons of dhana-jeera (finely ground coriander and cumin seeds)

1 tablespoon of sugar (optional, it doesn’t lend a sweetness, just enhances the flavor)

a pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons of oil

1 cup (approximately) of water

How to go about it

Start by soaking the the channa dal (bengal gram, split and skinned). Next chop the onions into eighths, slit the bhindi (okra) and keep aside. In a large plate mix all the dry ingredients, add to these the finely chopped coriander and green chilly. Then add the coarsely ground channa dal (bengal gram, split and skinned). The mix should be moist but not at all paste like. Check seasoning and adjust as per your palate, you want a slightly salt tolerant, slightly spicy lingering flavor.

Stuff the slit bhindis (okra) with this mix.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add a pinch of salt and the onions to it. Let the onions get to a mellow golden.

Now start placing your stuffed bhindis (okra) into the pan. Add all the leftover stuffing too. Sprinkle the reserve 1 tbsp of oil and cover the pan. Stove should be on a medium low. Cook for a minute or two.

Then give it a gentle stir and sprinkle water (about 1/4 of a cup) and cook covered till done, about 20 odd minutes on a medium low flame.

Keep checking that the stuffing is moist enough so that it doesn’t burn. Add water if it goes to dry. Do not add all the water in one go otherwise the bhindis (okra) will get very squishy and slimy, conversely too little water and the stuffing and the bhindis (okra) will char.

Once done serve with rotis, raita and papad. Enjoy 🙂

Variations

You could try cooking it in the microwave, instead of the stove top, it might bring down the cook time.