Punjabi Pindiyaan! 

 (Okra, ladyfinger/Bhindi masala)

 

 

A very simple yet very tasty Punjabi dish that can be made in minutes. Okra is my all time favourite. I always stock it up in my refrigerator just in case I have unexpected guests and I need to cook something quick. You can make bhindi in minutes along with daal, rice, salad and rotis and you have a complete meal in few minutes with ingredients easily available at home. I know a lot of people who don't like okra because they think its slimy. Okra never turns out slimy if cooked right. It has to be crunchy, green and crisp in-corporated with all the right flavors. You don't need too many spices, just the regular basic spices you have at home for this recipe. Here is how we Punjabi's make okra at home all the time. Its crispy, spicy, flavorful, green and very tasty.

 

Ingredients:-

Okra (bhindi)- 1/2 pound

3 large onions - chopped lengthwise

3 green chillies - finely chopped

1 tblsp- Punjabi garam masala powder

1 tsp-chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp-turmeric

1 tblsp-amchur powder (dried mango powder) available in indian store

1 tblsp-cumin seeds

1/2 cup oil

Salt to taste

Cilantro for garnishing

 

1. Wash and dry the okra completely with a kitchen cloth. Very important if you do not want mushy okra. There should be no water on them at all.
2. Slice okra in thin round discs.
3. Add oil in a wok, add cumin seeds let it splutter, add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown and crisp.
4. Add chopped green chillies, turmeric, salt, garam masala powder,chilli powder, amchur powder and mix well with the onions.
5. Now add the sliced okra and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Do not cover the okra while cooking.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with hot rotis.

Tips/notes:-

Never cover okra while cooking that leads to steam build up and okra turns out mushy.

Never overcook the okra, it looses color turns brown and mushy. Fresh okra gets done in 5-7 minutes.

I never use tomatoes for the same reason as tomatoes give out water too. plus if you add amchur powder you don't need to add tomatoes.

Ginger garlic is optional, some people like to add it, I don't. A delicate vegetable like okra doesn't need too many spices.