You know what excites me these days?
Cooking with new vegetables. Like okra. My CSA-splitting friend Sam who grew up in the South will probably be disappointed that I didn’t do something traditionally American the first time I cooked okra. But I decided to go Indian, after reading some rave reviews of a bhindi malasa recipe by Veg Recipes of India.
Bhindi translates to okra (no surprise) and this dish is made whole with the addition of your traditional aromatics (onions, garlic, ginger) and a nice mix of spices (coriander, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala).
If you’ve never cooked Indian food before, this is a nice place to start. It comes together quickly, leaves room for slight adaptations, and tastes absolutely delicious.
Serve on top of some good basmati rice or with a hefty piece of na’an.
- 1½ cup basmati rice, dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb okra, washed and dried, stems removed, and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2½ tablespoons ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
- In a saucepan, cook rice according to package instructions.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add okra and cook until slightly charred and soft. Transfer to a plate.
- To the skillet, add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
- Add all the spices and mix well. If mixture looks too dry and is not soaking in the spices, add ¼-1/2 cup of water. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Add okra pieces back in and remove from heat.
Recipe adapted from Veg Recipes of India.
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