1,000 Indian Recipes (168 page)

Crispy Baked Okra Bits

Oven Mein Bhunni Bhindi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

If you are not yet an okra fan (and especially if you are), keep reading! Okra does not have to be slimy; Indians make wonderful dishes that keep okra dry. Although it's often fried, in a continuing effort to make my home dishes lowfat and heart-healthy, I often bake okra. Once cooked, I just toss it with some salt or
chaat masala
and serve it as a side dish, in sandwiches, or over salads. Or I cook it with other vegetables, as in
Okra with Potatoes and Pear Tomatoes
. Baked okra also freezes very well.

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds fresh tender okra, rinsed and patted dry

1 tablespoon peanut oil

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Cut off the very end of the stem and discard. Then cut the okra into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch diagonal (or straight) slices. (Discard the tips of the okra only if they look too brown.) Toss with the oil and salt, and spread evenly on a baking sheet or broiler pan.

2.
Preheat the broiler and broil the okra 4 to 5 inches from the source of heat until the tops are browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

3.
Turn off the broiler and heat the oven to 450°F. Place the sheet with the okra on the lowest rack in the oven and bake until the bottom is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. (With the okra subjected to heat once from the top and then from the bottom, there is no need to stir.) Serve hot.

Variation:
To broil the okra whole, cut a thin slice from the stem end and discard. Then, starting at the stem end and stopping about
³
⁄
₄
-inch from the tip, split each okra in half lengthwise most of the way through. (Do not cut the okra into 2 pieces; both cut sides should remain attached at the tip.) Then toss with the oil and salt and cook as explained above.

Chopped Okra with Onions

Cutti Bhindi aur Pyaz

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Before you plan to cook this dish, rinse and thoroughly dry the okra. Make sure your hands, the cutting board, and the knife are dry, and don't stir too much—stirring will break the pieces, making them gummy.

1
¹
⁄
₄
pounds fresh tender okra, rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 small onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mango powder

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro including soft stems

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Cut off the very end of the okra stem and discard. Cut each okra into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces. (Discard the tips of the okra only if they look too brown.) Then place in a large cast-iron or nonstick wok or skillet and cook (with no oil) over medium to low heat, turning the pieces a few times very carefully with a spatula until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2.
Add the oil to the same pan and cook the onion over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the green chile pepper and the okra and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.
Add the coriander, cumin, mango powder, turmeric, and salt, cook about 5 minutes, then mix in the cilantro and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Okra with Potatoes and Pear Tomatoes

Bhindi, Aalu aur Tamatar

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here, okra pieces are first browned in the oven, then embellished with small, orange pear-shaped tomatoes, potatoes, and onions—all of which lend a softness and color contrast to the green-brown okra pieces. If you can't find orange pear-shaped tomatoes, use red, or just use chopped firm Roma tomatoes.

2 cups (1 recipe)
Crispy Baked Okra Bits

1 large russet (or any) potato

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mango powder

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

15 to 18 small orange or red pear tomatoes

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Cook the okra. Meanwhile, boil the potato in lightly salted water to cover, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel and cut the potato into
³
⁄
₄
-inch pieces. Prepare the ginger-garlic paste.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick wok or skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until golden, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3.
Add the remaining oil to the same pan and cook the potatoes, stirring, over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Mix in the ginger-garlic paste, green chile peppers, cilantro, onion, and okra, and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, mango powder, turmeric, and salt, and cook, stirring, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

4.
Add the pear tomatoes to the pan and cook, shaking the pan, until they are slightly soft and glazed with the spices remaining in the skillet, about 2 minutes. Then add them to the okra as a garnish. Top with the garam masala and serve.

Stuffed Whole Okra with Spices

Masala Bhari Bhindi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is a great party dish because it offers an intriguing presentation and is one that involves some labor, so I save it for special occasions. Each piece of okra is first slit lengthwise to make a pocket, then is stuffed with a special mixture of spices before it is cooked. Serve it with
Nine-Jewel Paneer Cheese Curry
or with
Punjabi Red Beans with Mango Pickle Masala
, a yogurt
raita
and rice, and/or
parantha
(griddle-fried breads).