Stuffed Bhindi (Okra) Masala

Now I know okra is not a very common vegetable in western food, and usually if it is found in western food it is battered and deep fried and disgusting. Try this okra recipe and believe me, it will turn all you haters into fans! That's how I started liking it. Actually, truthfully, I do not like the okra that my mom makes at all (sorry Mom! At least you still have Prajakta as a fan!). It's gooey and slimey and although the taste is good, the texture is not nice. I think this is waaay better, because the okra maintains a little crunch and doesn't turn into a gooey mess. If you're feeling adventurous... ENJOY!

Ingredients:

24 fresh Okra (tips removed)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

4 garlic gloves, minced

1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of Asafoteida (a.k.a. Hing)

3-4 Curry leaves (can replace with 2 bay leaves)

Salt to taste

For the filling:

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

(If you don't have a food processor or spice grinder, you can use the above seeds in powder form, same measurements)

4 dried red chillies (adjust according to taste)

1 tbsp dessicated (dried) shredded coconut

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

Pinch of Asafoteida (a.k.a Hing)

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Wash okra and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.

While the okra is drying, dry roast the cumin, fennel, coriander seeds, shredded coconut, dried red chillies and hing until fragrant and start to brown. Let these cool completely before grinding them to a powder.

Add the roasted spices to the turmeric pwd and salt and grind until a coarse powdery filling.

Trim the okra and make a slit lengthways down the middle, without splitting the entire okra in half.

Carefully stuff each okra without letting the entire thing split in half. You will probably be able to get 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp of stuffing into each okra. Don't worry if you are left with excess spice powder, you will use that later.

Cook:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet on high hear.

Saute okras for a few minutes on each side, until brown spots appear on both sides (bottom side and stuffing side), so that it is partially cooked. Use tongs to flip carefully so stuffing doesn't fall out. This may have to be done in batches depending on the size of the skillet.

Remove the okra to a paper towel and blot any excess oil.

Once cooled, carefully cut each okra in half cross-wise.

Wipe down skillet using paper towel and heat 1 tbsp oil on medium heat.

Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing.

Once popped, add serrano peppers, garlic and curry leaves and saute until golden brown (1-2 mins).

Add onions and continue to saute until golden brown.

Add tomatoes and remaining spice powder and cook until tomatoes are soft and paste-like.

Carefully stir in the stuffed okra and cook for 5-7 mins.

Add salt to taste and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

DEVOUR!

Since I found this recipe online, I have made a few changes to it along the way. And I may continue to make changes to it as I try new things, so beware!