There is usually a vegetable that correlates with a season. For me summers have, since I can remember, been synonymous with Bhindi ki sabzi. The version we always ate is commonly cooked in north India though by no means the only way to cook this queen of summer vegetables, also known as lady’s fingers in former colonies of the British empire. In fact until I moved to the USA, I had never called it okra.
Bhindi overdose, too much of a good thing…
A sturdy plant that lasts all summer, it has by default become a staple of the summer plate. The daily question, “khaane mein kya banayein?” (what should we cook for lunch/dinner), can in the summer months rely on the dependable bhindi to provide at least one entree. It is quite another matter that the first few weeks of enthusiasm for bhindi eventually lead to disgust and dismay at yet another suggestion of eating it.
Bhindi ki sabzi – summer memories!
But for those of us living abroad the idea of eating bhindi as cooked in our childhood homes is comforting. I find myself transported to our home in Rajasthan, awaiting a warm puffed chapati to scoop up a bite of the tangy bhindi ki sabzi. If you are craving bhindi unseasonably, like I often do, you can find it in the frozen aisle in most grocery stores. Start from there and follow along. Recipe below.
Let’s make Bhindi ki Sabzi
Serves: 2 persons (1.5 servings each)
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cooking time ~ 30 minutes; Total: 40 – 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- Onion – 1 medium (preferably red),
- Okra/bhindi ~ 2 cups chopped (fresh or frozen),
- Oil – 2 tbsps,
- Jeera – 1 tsp,
- Salt – 1 tsp (to taste),
- Turmeric – 1 tsp,
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp,
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp (to taste),
- Amchoor powder – 1 tsp,
- Green chillies – 2 or 3 small (optional).
Method:
First, start by prepping the onion. For this version of bhindi ki sabzi I always use two types of onion slices. First, halve an onion. Then slice up one half – this will give you long slices. Keep them aside. Next, using the other half cut it down the middle before finally slicing along the furrows. This will give you smaller pieces. You can view how I sliced it in the images below.
Get yourself either a packet of frozen, cut okra. I used a 16 oz (~ 2 cups, US) packet bought at Whole Foods. Frozen cut okra are usually just the right size. If using fresh okra, try to buy tender green pieces, trim the ends and proceed to cut each okra into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Next, put a large kadhai (Indian wok) or deep pan on the stove and heat it up. To this add oil followed by cumin seeds. Once spluttering, add the smaller chopped onions. Keep the long slices for later. This is the point at which you can also throw in the chopped chillies.
Adding cumin seeds to hot oil Sliced onions for tadka Cooking onions until translucent
Cook onions until translucent. Then add spices – ground turmeric, coriander, salt and red chilli powder. Mix these into the onions and cook until the spices bloom. Add the frozen okra. No need to defrost it.
After a couple of minutes on medium high heat, the okra will start defrosting and cooking. Reduce the heat to medium, cover to cook. Check once in 5 minutes, and stir. You will likely see string like formations. The okra will seem sticky and slimy. This slime is mucilage , soluble fibre, that will eventually dissolve.
Once it looks like most of the slime has been cooked off, add those onion slices that had been kept aside in the beginning. Cover the wok / pan and cook on low – medium heat for another 10 minutes.
After a few minutes, these onion slices will soften but retain some body and texture. Toss them with the rest of the sabzi.
To finish off, add amchoor powder and mix it in. You can also use the juice of half a lime. The tartness of these ingredients makes this bhindi ki sabzi exceedingly good and refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.
Ready to relive summer meals with bhindi ki sabzi!
I served bhindi with a plain moong dal, tomato and onion raita, whole wheat chapatis and a salad of carrots and sliced cucumbers.
- Onion – 1 medium (preferably red),
- Okra/bhindi ~ 2 cups chopped (fresh or frozen),
- Oil – 2 tbsps,
- Jeera – 1 tsp,
- Salt – 1 tsp (to taste),
- Turmeric – 1 tsp,
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp,
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp (to taste),
- Amchoor powder – 1 tsp,
- Green chillies – 2 or 3 small (optional).
- Start by prepping the onion - I always use two types of onion slices.
- First, halve an onion.
- Then slice up one half – this will give you long slices, keep them aside.
- Next, using the other half cut it down the middle before finally slicing along the furrows - this will give you smaller pieces.
- Put a large kadhai (Indian wok) or deep pan on the stove, heat it up and add oil followed by cumin seeds.
- Once spluttering, add the smaller chopped onions (This is the point at which you can also throw in the chopped chillies).
- Cook onions until translucent and add spices – ground turmeric, coriander, salt and red chilli powder, mix these into the onions and cook until the spices bloom.
- Add the frozen okra, cooking on medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat and cover to cook stirring once in 5 minutes.
- You will see string like formations that make okra sticky and slimy.
- This slime is soluble fibre that will eventually dissolve.
- Once the slime has reduced, add the remaining onion slices and cook covered until soft.
- Finally add amchoor or lime juice and mix well.
- Bhindi ki sabzi is ready to serve!