BHINDI RECIPE PAKISTANI/OKRA RECIPE

                          BHINDI RECIPE

This is a simple everyday bhandi recipe, Pakistani style and I bet, it will be the most delicious bhandi masala you will ever eat. Make a thin, delicious bhandi masala in less than 30 minutes from the start!. Many people dislike bhandi because of its thin, sticky gravy. Here is how to make the best Pakistani Bhindi.

Bhendi, also known as Okra and Lady Finger, is a delicious vegetable. The combination of dried bhindi with many onions (chopped onions), tomatoes, and Indian spices is called bhandi masala or okra masala.

INGREDIENTS

Bhindi: Select Bhindi carefully. Fresh, small organic bhandi makes the best bhandi masala.

Indian Spices: Most spices like turmeric, coriander and cumin are commonly available. Fenugreek seeds help in digestion which is optional.

Onions: Most people prefer more onions in Bhindi Masala but you can use less if you want.

Tomatoes: You can replace tomatoes with tomato paste. I do it all the time

Ginger, Garlic and Green Pepper: Use chopped garlic which will turn golden easily in tampering. If you use freshly chopped ginger and chillies, the taste will increase.

Tamarind: This ingredient adds some sourness to Bhindi masala. I sometimes replace it with tamarind sauce or other tamarind sauce like BBQ sauce. If you are using a sauce or gravy, skip the sugar. I use tamarind for the same purpose in my bitter melon recipe.

Sugar: Adding less sugar improves the taste of vegetables.

Oil or grease: Use any neutral cooking oil. In Pakistan, mustard oil is used for cooking vegetables.

BASIC POINT (NOTE):

• Basically, you drain the excess water in the pot. If you are using fresh okra, wash it thoroughly and drain all the water.
• Okra should be absolutely dry before cutting, if not the slim liquid will make chopping messy. So first wash and dry Okra on a towel, and air-dry further for a few minutes.
• Cut the stalk(okra) as shown in the pictures. If cutting a bhandi is hard and fibrous. Just throw it away. This is important because when a few pieces of fibrous oatmeal are mixed with a good oatmeal, its texture deteriorates completely and fibrous oatmeal is not even chewable.

HOW TO MAKE BHINDI (RECIPE)

1. Put chopped okra and half a teaspoon of salt in a pot and cook without oil, stirring constantly over medium heat.
2. The sticky thread seen in the picture will burn and we will have made half a bhandi which is not thin or sticky at all. Put it aside and use it as needed in any recipe.
3. At the same time, heat oil in another pan and fry garlic, cumin and fenugreek for a few seconds. When the garlic is light golden, add all the other spices. (You can also use the same pan bhandi.)
4. Shake it and fry for a few more seconds. Add onion and cook till soft, as shown in Figure.
   
   
   
5. Add the tomatoes (I've used homemade pure tomatoes, you can also use chopped ones), cover, and cook the tomato-onion gravy until all the water is dry. Go and the oil does not separate towards the pan. This step is important because bhana is the key to Pakistani cooking.
6. Add roasted and half cooked bhandi / bhandi to the tomato gravy and cook till soft and complete.
7. Add tamarind pulp and half a teaspoon of sugar. (You can replace tamarind pulp and sugar with tamarind sauce or barbecue sauce.)
8. Check the taste, add 2 tablespoons extra tamarind pulp if needed. Make it chapatti! Garnish with a slice of green pepper.
9. Pakistani bhandi is ready to eat.