Spicy Bhindi/Okra

Spicy Bhindi/Okra 

Okra is popularly known as Ladyfinger or Bhindi. It is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. It is also a good source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins. Thus making it a very healthy vegetable to add in our day to day diet. It can be made in many different ways and go well with any Indian bread or dal rice. They naturally tend to get sticky when you cut them or while cooking. Best way is to add yogurt or lime juice while cooking or use them as a marinate. One more thing to bear in  mind is that you must always cook it uncovered. This will help in drying the vegetable and help it get cooked. In this recipe, I have tried to give it a different twist by using mulagapudi in the marinade. Since it is already flavored with different spices and pulses, it add a unique taste to the sabzi. My mom used to always marinate it with yogurt and chilly powder. I read on another blog, the lady used mulagapudi to marinate the okra and made crisps out of them. Getting influenced by that, I decided to try my sabzi with this twist. Hope you like it too!



Ingredients
500 gms of cut okra/bhindi
2-3 tbsp of yogurt
2-3 tbsp Mulagapudi/Gunpowder for marinating (In absence of this powder, use - Chilly powder, Turmeric powder and cumin powder mixed together)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large potato cut in cubes
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cut in cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Seasonings like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and garam masala (1 tsp each)
1 tbsp oil
Cilantro for garnish

Method
In a bowl, put in the cut okra. Add the yogurt and the mulagapudi powder. Sprinkle little salt. Cover the bowl and shake it so that the okra gets well coated. Leave it for 30 minutes to rest.
In a non stick pan, add the oil. Once it is hot, temper the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the potato and fry till they become tender. Now add in the garlic, green chillies, onion and ginger garlic paste. Fry till onions turn pink. It is time to add tomatoes. Cook till they turn pulpy. Add turmeric powder and marinated okra. Mix well. Cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes uncovered. It is very important to cook in uncovered so that the okra looses the stickiness and gets cooked in the steam. Adding yogurt also does the same job. Keep mixing it at regular intervals. Once you think the okra is nearly done, add the garam masala and cilantro. Mix well and cook for few more minutes till the okra is fully cooked. The sabzi is ready to be enjoyed with an Indian bread or rice.