This recipe is supremely easy to put together – no anxious sun-drying of washed okra, no meticulous wiping with kitchen towel…you can immediately cook the okra post-washing.

Note: Pick very fresh, bright green, tender baby okra for this recipe.

You Need:

[Servies 3-4]

• Fresh okra – 250 grams
• Baby potatoes – 250 grams
• Tomatoes – 4
• Green chilies – 2
• Garlic – 6 small cloves (~2 teaspoons when chopped)
• Salt – to taste
• Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon (more if you like it hotter)
• Pepper powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Vegetable or peanut oil – 2 teaspoons

How To Make Okra and Baby Potato Stew:

1. Prep the vegetables

Wash the baby potatoes: In lukewarm water, soak the baby potatoes for 10 minutes. Scrub the skin clean. Wash in a couple of changes of water.

With a fork or toothpick, prick holes all over each baby potato’s surface. [This will help the potatoes cook faster and absorb the flavors of the curry.]

Wash the okra. Snip the top off each okra. Cut into 2-inch pieces if the okra is long; anything under 3-inches means you can leave the okra whole.

Peel and finely chop garlic cloves. Slit the green chilies vertically.

Quarter the tomatoes and place them in a food processor or mixie.

Puree the tomatoes.

2. Cook

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, add to it cumin seeds and chopped garlic.

After the cumin seeds have spluttered and the garlic turned golden, add to the pan turmeric powder and give it a quick stir.

Add tomato puree to the pan. Bring to a boil. Set heat to its lowest setting. Mix salt, pepper and red chili powder into the bubbling puree. Cook covered, undisturbed, for five minutes.

Stir the tomato curry, add baby potatoes and green chilies to the pan.

Cook for 12-13 minutes with the pan covered. Stir the contents of the pan once or twice in between, for even cooking.

Tip in the okra into the pan.

Mix. Stew the vegetables covered for another 20 minutes or till the potatoes and okra are tender and have absorbed the flavors of the tomato curry. Stir around once, gently, in between.

Baby potato and okra stew is ready.

Serve hot with rice.

Notes:

Like the idea of stews? Check out lauki aloo stew. chow chow stew, express mooli sambar – radish lentil stew.

Interested in more okra recipes? Try dahi bhindi. bhindi do pyaza, okra stuffed with peanut spice.

The post Okra and Baby Potato Stew appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

This recipe is well-suited for those on a no-onion-no-garlic diet – okra in bhindi bhujiya besanwali gets its primary flavors from asafoetida and amchoor (raw mango powder), with besan (gram flour) to add another dimension to it.

You Need:

• Okra – 400 grams
• Gram flour (besan) – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – to taste
• Raw mango powder (amchoor powder) – 1/2 teaspoon
• Chili powder – 3/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

How To Make Bhindi Bhujiya Besanwali:

Wash and pat the okra completely dry.

Snip off the head and slice the okra into thin discs.

Heat mustard oil in a skillet or kadhai. When smoking hot, add a pinch of asafoetida powder and half a teaspoon of cumin seeds. The seeds will crackle instantly. Now add turmeric powder and immediately follow with sliced okra.

Toss the okra so that the flavored oil coats it all evenly. Fry on medium-high flame, tossing/stirring regularly.

When nearly done, add salt, chili powder and raw mango powder. Mix well.

Reduce heat. Sprinkle besan (gram flour) all over. Mix well again, making sure that the besan does not clump up. Continue to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bhindi bhujiya besanwali is ready.

Serve on the side with any Indian meal. Meal below: boiled foxtail millet with ghee, imli chutney, spinach dal, bhindi bhujiya besanwali, pan-roasted spicy sweet potatoes.

Notes:

Like bhindi? Also try bharwan bhindi (okra stuffed with peanut spice), dahi bhindi (okra with ginger pepper yogurt) or bhindi do pyaza (literally, two-onion okra).

Wondering what else to do with gram flour (besan)? Make cheela (savory pancake) with it, add it to kadhi (yogurt-based gravy) or turn it into a full-blown “sabzi”.

The post Bhindi Bhujiya Besanwali: Fried Okra Discs appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Okra is prone to turning slimy at the slightest excuse – this dry spice stuffing helps to counter that perfectly.

This recipe calls for some investment of time – but if you have fun company in the kitchen during Step 2: Slit and Fill, then even the longish prep time is halved.

You Need:

• Okra – 300 grams
• Oil – 2 teaspoons
• Fresh coriander leaves – for garnishing

For the stuffing:

• Peanuts – 1 tablespoon
• Sesame seeds – 1/2 tablespoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Red chili flakes – 1/2 teaspoon (more if you want it hotter)
• Dry mango powder (amchoor powder) – 1/2 teaspoon
• Jaggery – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

How To:

1. Make the spice mix

If using unroasted peanuts, shell and dry roast them on low heat, till the skin turns brown. Let cool, then skin. [I do this by rubbing the roasted peanuts gently using both palms – this causes the skin to crumble and fall off.]

Dry roast sesame seeds on low heat, stirring them around, till the seeds turn golden. Keep aside to cool.

Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chili flakes till the coriander seeds become aromatic. Keep aside to cool.

Grind roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, coriander and cumin seeds, red chili flakes. Mix well dry mango powder, salt and jaggery powder into the ground spices.

The peanut spice mix is now ready to fill.

2. Slit and fill

With each okra, cut off the top and make a vertical slit about 3/4th in, do not cut it through.

Make sure you’re using absolutely dry okra – no clinging water droplets. If you have to wash the okra, do it a couple of hours before slitting – and/or dab with tissue, place under the fan or out in the sun, whatever to speed up the drying process.

Spoon the spice mix generously into the slit okra. Press it in and press the mouth of the okra close. Some of the spice mix will fall out of the okra – that is all right.

Take care to do the filling over a wide clean container/plate so that you can scoop up all the falling spice mix and use it to fill another okra. Don’t let the spice mix go to waste! ^[1]

[If I’m cooking alone, I do all the slitting and cutting first, and then the stuffing in one go. If working with a partner, we go for the "assembly line manufacturing" mode – one person does the slitting and passes it on to the other to do the filling.]

3. On the fire!

Heat a wide non-stick pan with two teaspoons of oil spread evenly. Place the stuffed okra, slit side up, in a single layer in the pan. For even cooking, position the thicker/bigger pieces of okra towards the source of the heat, the smaller ones away from it.

Let the stuffed okra cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes, then gently nudge around. If the side facing down is getting crisp, shift the angle so that a raw surface faces down. Continue to move the okra around till cooked from all sides.

Bharwan bhindi (okra stuffed with peanut spice) is ready to bite into!

Serve bharwan bhindi garnished with fresh coriander leaves, along with chapatis. 

Notes:

The post Bharwan Bhindi: Okra Stuffed with Peanut Spice appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Despite the same core ingredient, each of these okra dishes tastes worlds apart. Dahi bhindi (okra cooked in a yogurt-based gravy) is one such unique preparation. The recipe includes besan (gram flour) which adds body to the gravy, and a freshly prepared ginger-pepper blend which gives it a distinct, sharp kick.

Here’s how to make dahi bhindi.

I picked up this way of cooking okra from Sanjeev Kapoor’s TV show Khana Khazana and have adapted it over time.

Ingredients:

[Serves 2]

• Okra – 300 grams
• Besan (gram flour) – 1 tablespoon
• Ginger – 1-inch stick
• Black peppercorns – 10 to 15
• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Dry red chilies – 1 or 2
• Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida – 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon

How To Make Dahi Bhindi:

1. Prepare the spices

Roast a tablespoon of gram flour (besan) on a tava or skillet for 2 mins or till it begins to turn golden and give off a roasted aroma. Keep aside.

Peel and chop the stick of ginger. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger along with black peppercorns.

Bring yogurt to room temperature – keep it outside the fridge for a couple of hours. Whisk it well with a pinch of salt and roasted cumin powder.

2. Prepare the okra

Wash and wipe the moisture off the okra before cutting. Snip off the head, then cut into 1.5-inch long sticks.

In a pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and once they splutter, add broken dry red chilies. As soon as the red chilies turn color, add asafoetida and turmeric powder.

Without waiting longer, tip in the cut okra and mix well.

Stir the contents of the pan and cook covered for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, turning the okra around every other minute.

The okra should have taken on golden edges at places by now. At this stage uncover the pan and move on to adding the remaining spices.

3. Put it all together

Add ginger-pepper paste and salt to the pan, and cook uncovered till the okra is nearly done. Stir in roasted besan (gram flour) and continue to cook for 2 minutes, turning the okra pieces around so that they get coated with the besan evenly.

Set the heat to low and gently fold in the yogurt. Another minute of uncovered cooking, 5 mins of covered rest – and dahi bhindi is ready to serve!

My meal today: Ghee rice and dahi bhindi.

Related Recipes:

Looking for more okra recipes? Try:

Want to explore more yogurt-based curries? Take a look at our madra-inspired dahi chhole, saunf-flavored dahi lauki, or the hearty dahi arbi.

Quick-reference recipe card that you can save or print:

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Dahi Bhindi: Indian Okra in Ginger Pepper Yogurt Sauce

Dahi bhindi (okra cooked in a yogurt-based gravy): The recipe includes besan (gram flour) which adds body to the gravy, and a freshly prepared ginger-pepper blend which gives it a distinct, sharp kick.

Course Curries

Cuisine Indian

Keyword okra

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author The Steaming Pot

Ingredients

• Okra – 300 grams
• Besan gram flour – 1 tablespoon
• Ginger – 1-inch stick
• Black peppercorns – 10 to 15
• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Dry red chilies – 1 or 2
• Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida – 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon

Instructions

Prepare the spices

• Roast a tablespoon of gram flour (besan) on a tava or skillet for 2 mins or till it begins to turn golden and give off a roasted aroma. Keep aside.
• Peel and chop the stick of ginger. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger along with black peppercorns.
• Bring yogurt to room temperature – keep it outside the fridge for a couple of hours. Whisk it well with a pinch of salt and roasted cumin powder.

Prepare the okra

• Wash and wipe the moisture off the okra before cutting. Snip off the head, then cut into 1.5-inch long sticks.
• In a pan or kadhai, heat a tablepoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and once they splutter, add broken dry red chilies. As soon as the red chilies turn color, add asafoetida, turmeric powder and okra in quick succession. Stir the contents of the pan and cook covered for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, turning the okra around every other minute. The okra should have taken on golden edges at places by now. At this stage uncover the pan and move on to adding the remaining spices.

Put it all together

• Add ginger-pepper paste and salt to the pan, and cook uncovered till the okra is nearly done. Stir in roasted besan (gram flour) and continue to cook for 2 minutes, turning the okra pieces around so that they get coated with the besan evenly.
• Set the heat to low and gently fold in the yogurt. Another minute of uncovered cooking, 5 mins of covered rest – and dahi bhindi is ready to serve!

The post Dahi Bhindi: Indian Okra in Ginger Pepper Yogurt Sauce appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

If you thought extra-virgin olive oil and Indian food don’t mix, you have another think coming. Presenting for you the recipe of okra with ginger, coriander, sesame seeds and olive oil.

You Need:

• Okra – 250 grams
• Ginger – 1-inch stick
• Coriander leaves – 1 small bunch
• Green chili – 1
• Salt – to taste
• Roasted peanuts – 2 tablespoons
• Sesame seeds – 2 tablespoons [buy here]
• Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons [buy here]
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon [buy here]
• Extra-virgin olive oil – 1/2 tablespoon [buy here]
• Olive oil – 1/2 tablespoon [buy here]

The links above are amazon.com affiliate links. The Steaming Pot will earn a small commission if you buy via the links, at no additional cost to you.

How To Make Okra with Ginger, Coriander, Sesame Seeds and Olive Oil:

1. Slice the okra

Wash and pat dry the okra. Slice each vertically into 4 strips.

Since I was using slightly mature okra, I scooped out and discarded the big seeds.

2. Prepare the masala

Peel and chop an inch-long stick of ginger.

Toast the sesame seeds on a skillet on medium-high flame till they turn golden and give off a nutty aroma.

Toast the peanuts on medium-high flame till their skin turns golden-brown. Let the peanuts cool and rub off their skins – I do this by holding the peanuts between my palms and moving them around gently till the skin falls off.

Dry roast the coriander and turmeric powder for 30 seconds on medium-high flame.

Chop the coriander leaves roughly.

Let the roasted ingredients cool to room temperature. In the grinder, place ginger, green chili, coriander leaves, peanuts and sesame seeds and grind them.

Then add to the grinder the roasted coriander and turmeric powder, salt and two teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and give it another run. [Missed taking a picture after this step – the masala perks up in color and turns to paste consistency.]

3. Sauté the okra

Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a wide non-stick pan. Slide in the okra strips.

Cook covered on medium heat for five minutes, turning them around every minute.

Uncover and cook for another three minutes on high flame, tossing the pan regularly. Since the okra is cut thin, it will be cooked through by now.

Mix the masala paste into the okra and continue to cook for another two minutes.

Serve warm with chapatis and kachumber salad on the side.

Notes:

Check out other popular okra recipes on the blog:

The post Okra with Ginger, Coriander, Sesame Seeds and Olive Oil appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

You Need:

• Okra – 250 grams
• Onions – 2 large
• Tomatoes – 1
• Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Green chilies – 2, slit vertically
• Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
• Garam masala – a pinch
• Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander leaves – a few sprigs
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable Oil – 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

How To Make Bhindi Do Pyaza:

Chop and Slice

Wash and pat the okra completely dry. Cut into 1.5-inch pieces.

Slice the onions and tomatoes into thin strips. Finely chop ginger and garlic.

Pan A: The Onion Masala

When the oil turns hot splutter cumin seeds, then add crushed ginger and garlic. After 30 seconds, add onion strips. Cook on medium-high flame till the onion slices turn golden-brown. Sprinkle coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and mix. Cook for a min, taking care not to let the masala get burnt (add a few more drops of oil if needed).

Next add tomato strips and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high flame.

Pan B: The Bhindi

When the oil turns hot slide in the okra (bhindi) pieces. Cook on medium flame, covered, for 7-8 mins, turning occasionally.

Uncover and cook till the okra pieces turn crisp and dry (around 5mins).

Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt.

Toss to coat the okra with the salt and spice. Switch off the heat and wait for the ingredients in pan A to get cooked.

Put it all together

Turn the contents pan A into pan B.

Cook on medium-high flame for around 5 minutes, so that the masalas mix well with the okra.

Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala powder, mix and switch off the heat.

Bhindi do pyaza is ready.

To Serve:

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over bhindi do pyaza. Serve with chapatis, dal, yogurt and salad. 

Meal in the pic below (clockwise from left): cucumber pomegranate salad, homemade yogurt, cabbage coconut stir fry, bhindi do pyaza along with chana dal rice.

Notes:

For a quicker okra recipe, try bhindi masala.

The post Bhindi Do Pyaza: Okra, and Twice as Much of Onions! appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

For dinner last night, before I started chopping up the okra (bhindi) into my usual 1-cm disks, I noticed that some of them were bulging – which means the seeds were big and ripe. I didn’t want those seeds and yet the bhindi good enough to eat. What could be done?

I went for this tiny twist – sliced each bhindi vertically into 4-6 strips, and discarded the big seeds. The end result was a lovely, slightly crisp side dish of masaledar okra strips.

Here’s the recipe – especially handy when you want to eat okra Indian-style without the seeds.

You Need:

• Okra (bhindi) – 500 grams
• Salt – to taste
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

How To Make Masaledar Okra Strips:

Wash and pat dry the bhindi. The bhindi should be completely dry before it is sliced.

Slice each bhindi vertically into 4 strips (6 for bigger bhindis). Scoop out and throw away the big seeds, if any.

Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil in a wide non-stick pan. Add asafoetida, then slide in the bhindi strips. Cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, turning occasionally. Since the bhindi is cut thin, it will be cooked through by now. Sprinkle turmeric, coriander, cumin and red chili powders and mix with a gentle hand so that it coats all the strips evenly.

When the raw color of the turmeric goes away (1-2 mins), sprinkle salt and mix well. Cook for another minute. Serve masaledar okra strips with raita, a simple curry and rice/Indian bread on the side.

Notes:

Want to try more okra recipes? Check out bhindi bhujiya besanwali, a simple okra stir-fry lifted by a dash of besan, and dahi bhindi, in which okra pieces are simmered in a ginger-pepper yogurt base.

The post Masaledar Okra Strips appeared first on The Steaming Pot.