Weeknight Bhindi // Stir-Fried Okra
My Dad calls his backyard garden his “third daughter”. I actually think he might love his vegetable garden more than he loves us - his vegetables don’t talk back as much as my sister and I do! He has a very green thumb and as I’ve gotten older, like him, I’ve surrounded myself with greenery. Our apartment is filled with plants and this summer, I finally decided to take the leap and plant a little vegetable patch. Of course, I had a lot of help from Dad.
I planted tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, basil, kohlrabi, and okra. While my Dad gave me virtually everything pre-potted or a few weeks in, I planted the okra and the cilantro from the seeds. I don’t know what it is but nothing made me feel prouder this year than growing something from the beginning. For a little urban garden like the one I had, I grew a surprising number of okra!
Okra (or bhindi, in Hindi) isn’t the most popular vegetable. It’s slimy and if you don’t know how to cook it, it can have an unpleasant texture. I always start it off on high heat, which helps with the slime, and then let it cook for a few minutes on medium heat to make it tender. This weeknight okra can be made in 15 mins, max - it has the same notes that you might in a restaurant bhindi masala but unlike the restaurant dish, you don’t have to deep fry the okra first. Just heat up the aromatics, add the okra, spices, and you’re done!
Serves 2
Ingredients
12-14 okra, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 dried red chili
`1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp or less cayenne pepper
1/2 plum tomato, roughly chopped
salt to taste
Method
Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the mustard seeds, dried chili, and garlic slices. When the seeds splutter, add the okra and sear for 5-6 mins, tossing frequently.
Lower the heat to medium and add the spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne. Season with salt, toss, and cook through for 1 min. Now, add the chopped tomato and let cook for 8-10 mins. If the okra starts sticking, add a little splash of water. Turn off the heat when the okra is tender and there is no liquid left in the pan.
Enjoy with rice or roti!
