Bhindi: stir-fried, spicy okra.

Here’s a little something extra from Dildar (aka Guru) whom you might remember from his delectable aloo tikki with tamarind chutney. This time (actually he cooked this at the same time as he cooked the other dishes – oh, the wonders of editing) he prepared bhindi (Indian style, stir-fried okra). It’s such a simple and delicious dish that I wonder why I haven’t attempted it before. Oh, yeah the main ingredient: okra.  I didn’t grow up eating it, my parents never cooked it and when I’d had it in the past, it had been prepared  in the Indian style or deep fried in the tradition of American Southern cooking. Okra is a tricky little vegetable because as you cook it, it tends to ooze a slimy liquid which wikipedia terms “mucilagenous” which might very well be my new favorite word.  It basically means “snotty” – not the most appetizing quality in a food.  But Dildar has a great tip for minimizing this.  Basically he… oh I guess you’ll just have to watch the video.

Bhindi Recipe:
Ingredients (quantities are approximate)
1 – 1 1/2 lbs of okra
2 medium yellow onions
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp chili pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
lime juice (to taste)

And here’s how he does it…