Indian - Bhindi (Okra) Stir Fry

Region: India (North)
Dish Type: Vegetarian Side Dish
Time: Roughly 1 -1.5 hours (including prep time)
Servings: 5-8 people
Served with: Rotis (Bread), Dal (Lentil Soup), Chawal (Steamed Basmati Rice)


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Ingredients:
1 lb of Rinsed and Dried Bhindi (Okra)
CAUTION: DO NOT USE FROZEN PRECUT OKRA
& BE SURE TO RINSE THEN COMPLETELY
DRY OFF THE OKRA BEFORE CUTTING
OTHERWISE IT WILL BE GOOEY!


Within a small cup, place the following 2 spices:
1/4 Table spoon of Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
1/4 Tablespoon of Ajwain (Carom Seeds)


On a plate - place the following spices:
1/2 Tablespoon of salt
1/4 Tablespoon of Red Chilli Pepper
1/4 Tablespoon of dried powdered haldi (turmeric powder)
1/4 Tablespoon of dried powdered dhania (coriander)
1/5 Tablespoon of dried powdered amchoor (raw mango)
3 Tablespoons of Canola Oil



Instructions:
(1)
PREP: Take the Bhindi (Okra), place them in a strainer, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and let dry for 15 minutes. Then cut off tops and bottoms before proceeding to slice the body of the Bhindi (Okra) into roughly 1/8 inch thick slices.


(2)
Preheat the pan on medium high heat for 4 minutes. Then add 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Make sure the pan is evenly coated.





(3)
After the oil has heated for 2 minutes, add the 1/4 tablespoon of Ajwain (Carom Seeds) and 1/4 tablespoon of Jeera (Cumin seeds) and stir. Your goal is to lightly roast them.



(4)
Once the seeds are lightly roasted (which should take no more than half a minute), slowly add in the sliced bhindi (okra). The trick here is to add the bhindi (okra) in little amounts and to stir them with the oil to coat them before adding the rest of the bhindi (okra). This will give the sliced bhindi (okra) a consistent coating and prevent the bhindi (okra) slices from sticking to one other or to the bottom of the pan)





(5)
After stirring in the sliced bhindi, wait about 6-10 minutes before adding the rest of the masala in. Before adding in the masala, make sure to mix them up, and then gradually stir it into the bhindi (okra) slices.







(6)
Once all the contents have been stirred in, reduce the heat to low medium or medium and make sure to stir the bhindi every 5-7 minutes until it has become a darker shade of green. Some prefer their Bhindi Stir Fry softer, whereas others prefer it overdone - so based off of those preferences, you can choose to cook it for a longer period of time.







Serve hot with roti (indian bread), dal (indian lentil soup), and chawal (steamed rice)