Indian

‘unstuffed’ okra

This recipe waited patiently in my drafts folder while I waffled about posting a rather unconventional take on the classic Gujarati stuffed okra – Bhinda Sambhariya. Not that I had any doubts about how delicious it was. Because it truly is one of the tastiest okra dishes you will ever eat. But I hesitated. Was it too ordinary, I asked myself? Would people be intimidated by the list of ingredients? Would anyone even make it?

I was mentioning the short-cut take to my sister and her immediate reaction was “Give me the recipe!”. You see we all love “Gujju” food and growing up in Bombay, had the chance to eat at some of the best thali places- Rajdhani, Chetna, Thakars, Samrat……..what a feast for the eyes and tastebuds! So knowing that if nothing else, atleast my family would indulge me and try out the recipe, I hit the publish button.

Okra or bhindi happens to be one of my most favorite vegetables. I like it best simply stir-fried crisp and seasoned with salt and chili powder. My child on the other hand, likes the stuffed version – a medley of nuts and spices with spicy-tangy-sweet undertones. I tend not to make this style too often because I find it a bit of a chore to painstaking slit and stuff each okra, especially when making a large amount. Then I happened to see some recipes for masala bhindi that had the powder sprinkled on top of the slit okra and figured I could apply the same principle to the beloved stuffed version.

The unconventional part of this recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal is that I cut the okra vertically and bake it in the oven. It works like a charm because you don’t really have to baby it and also don’t end up with a mushy or slimy mess. Just make sure you are using tender okra.

Bhindi Sambhariya

Printable Recipe

500 gms tender Okra
4 tbsp oil, preferably peanut
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts, powdered
1/4 cup dried coconut powder
1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or paste
2 fresh green chilies, grated or paste
juice of half a lemon/lime
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
a large pinch asafoetida (optional)
salt
2-4 tsp sugar (depending on your preference of a sweet to sour ratio)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped very finely or pulsed roughly in the mixie

Preheat the oven to 350 degreesF

Wash and dry the okra. Cut the heads and slice vertically and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the salt, green chili paste, ginger paste, chili powder, turmeric, asafoetida, coriander and cumin powders. Add the lemon or lime juice and the oil and rub it well into the okra. Then add the besan and mix well.

Transfer to a foil-lined cookie sheet (makes clean-up easy) and bake for 20 mins, stirring once or twice in between.

In the meantime, mix the peanut powder, dried coconut powder, sesame seeds, sugar and garam masala.

After 20 mins, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and remove the cookie sheet. Add the peanut powder mixture to it and also the fresh cilantro. Stir everything well and then put it back in the oven and bake for another 15-20 mins. Stir after 10 mins and make sure it is not burning.

Yum