Saturday, September 26, 2009

Dry bhindi sabzi (Dry Okra curry with potatoes)

Okra or 'Ladies finger' as it is known in India has always been a favorite vegetable. I bought some fresh okra the other day to try out something new-'gumbo'. I had only heard about this dish and finally managed to taste it from a can!! I checked for some gumbo recipes and found so many-I had no clue which was the right one. Finally I chickened out and turned the okra into my tried and tested version. This recipe should actually have more okra than potatoes,but since I picked up just a handful (for the gumbo),I had to add in more potatoes to increase the quantity of the 'sabzi'.
Ingredients:
  • Okra/ladiesfinger: 500 gms
  • Potato: 1 small diced
  • Green chillies: 1 or 2(slit lengthwise)
  • Onion: 1/2 medium (finely chopped)
  • Tamarind paste: 1 tsp
  • Ginger: 1/2 "(finely chopped)
  • Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
  • Black pepper powder: 1 tsp(freshly ground)
  • Garam masala: 1 tsp
  • Salt:to taste
For the tempering(optional):
  • Mustard seeds: 1tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Zeera : 1/2 tsp
  • Sesame seeds: 1tsp
  • Curry leaves: 2-3 nos.
  • Oil: 3tsp
Method:
  1. Wash and pat dry the okra before cutting them.
  2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds,sesame seeds and cumin seeds.
  3. When the mustard starts to sputter,add the curry leaves, turmeric powder and the chopped ginger.
  4. Fry till the ginger turns golden brown,then add the chopped onions and fry till it browns.
  5. Then add the diced potatoes and the green chillies and fry for about 5 mins,stirring constantly.
  6. Add the chopped okra, the tamarind paste,the garam masala, pepper powder and stir-fry on a medium flame, till the okra and potatoes are cooked.
  7. Add the salt and mix well.
  8. Serve with some hot chapathis/phulkas(whole wheat tortillas) or as a side dish with a plate of rice and dal.
I'm still on the lookout for a great gumbo recipe and I'd really appreciate if someone has a tried-and tested recipe which I could try out.

Question: What is your favorite okra dish?

24 comments:

chow and chatter said...

this looks great Sweta will tweet it I have missed you lots on here, Rebecca

Gina; The Candid RD said...

I'll admit, I don't eat okra a lot, and the only time I have had it was in a stew (delicious, by the way). Your recipe sounds very good, I'm a huge fan of gumbo.

I tried the Indian dish from Trader Joe's you had recommended a while back. Butter chicken, I believe. I posted about it several days back (maybe 2 weeks ago). I loved it :)

Anonymous said...

I love deep fried okra the most, dry okra comes 2nd..

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

My daughter loves Okra these days... Mine is quite similar to yours, but I dont add tamarind paste... Will try yours...
No idea on Gumbo - I stick to the dry version or the sour version with mustard paste...

Anonymous said...

Wow, this sounds delicious! I have never really had okra, I'm told it tastes a bit like asparagus or artichokes. Love the spices, and I will bookmark this recipe to try!

Unknown said...

Havent tried okra and potatoes together. Sounds like a yummy combo.

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

Reb-thanks a ton!!Will try and post at least once a week.
Gina-I loved gumbo too!! Great to know you loved the butter chicken :)
MC&S:Give me okra in any dish-I've yet to come across a dish with okra that I didn't like!!
HCOF:the version with mustard paste sounds interesting.
Amanda:never tried okra-really??Wow-try it,it's a little tricky to cook,but it's yummy!!
Divya:yummy it certainly is :)

chef and her kitchen said...

hmmm nice combo...simple n yummy with rice n roti..

KennyT said...

I always love a good bhindi masala, but I haven't tried dry bhindi sabzi yet, thanks for giving us this fantastic idea.

Gita Jaishankar said...

The curry looks tasty...nice combination of okra and potatoes :)

Parita said...

i just made okra 2 days back but without potatoes..love that u added tamarind and sesame seeds, will try adding them next time, i usually add some amchur powder to get the desired sourness :)

Karine said...

I have okra in my fridge but I still have not tasted it. I love your recipe because you use curry. Thanks for sharing!

MelindaRD said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. I am finding that there are many more places that were occupied by Portugal at some point in time. Sounds like you have an interesting background. The pork dish is something like salchichas, but I have no idea how that is really spelled.

lisa is cooking said...

I do love okra gumbo, but your sabzi looks delicious too! Sounds so good with the chilies and spices.

Juliana said...

Yummie, okra and potatoes...looks delicious with all the other ingredients in it :-) I usually just sautee with fresh minced garlic.

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

I think it's funny that in India Ladies' fingers are okra, but in the US that same term refers to cookies! Somehow that's like one big commentary on our cultural and dietary differences.

Anonymous said...

A delicious preparation of okra, curry sounds delicious!

theUngourmet said...

This does look so terrific and full of wonderful flavor! I have to tell you that I have never ever cooked with okra, in fact, I don't even know if I've ever tasted it. I must give it a try!

Astra Libris said...

Ooooh, okra is one of my all-time favorite veggies too! I can't wait to try your recipe! Thank you, thank you!!

As a Louisiana girl, I usually do put okra in gumbo... :-) and I love love love dry okra curries, too, and I've never fixed one with potatoes before, so I'm super excited about your recipe!

eatingRD said...

Yum, that pictures looks so tasty! I actually have never cooked with okra! I mean I like it, but it's not my veggie of choice. This may get me to try it :) Miss you!

Sarah Naveen said...

Hey Sweta,
this is my first time here.
You have a cute space.love the combo of potato and okra.
Keep rocking!!!

Muneeba said...

I love a good bhindi dish! This looks great with the addition of the potatoes. My favorite way to eat bhindi is in a south-indian dish, made with coconut, cashews, yogurt and tomatoes.

Rita said...

that looks great! i love okra. My favorite way to have it is in an Ethiopian dish(I forget the name), where it's cooked in tomato sauce and ghee.

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Well hello there! Regarding your question, apparently the DV for CHO is 300, I didn't even know that!