Side Dish

Bharwan Bhindi (Stuffed Okra)

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I inherit my love for good food and hospitality from both my parents, an apple can fall only so far away from the tree. My dad or us (my sister and me) would make a special request, dad would make a tidy shopping list with my mom and get all she needed, she then whipped up awesomeness in her kitchen. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, my mom sure had the golden stairs leading to my dads. Someday I hope to be as good a cook as my mom.

Mom grew up in Rajasthan and thats how some of the typical Rajasthani food made its way to our dinner table. This is one of them and another family favorite. If I could give an award for lifetime favorite dish, this would be it. And I think this dish has a lot to do with how Okra became my favorite vegetable (even more than potatoes!).

If this was on the menu for dinner, I volunteered to help. Mom and I would sit, talk about our day and fill one Okra at a time with the spices. So here’s two things I learnt from that: First, the spice mix has turmeric and if your using your fingers to fill the Okra, your nails will turn yellow. So if you have just spent $$ on a Manicure use a spoon. Second, this is a time consuming process so if you are in need for a quick weeknight dinner, then this dish may not be the one.

Time for Prep: 30 mins     Time to Cook: 25 mins    Yield: 4 servings    Level: Medium

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Okra
  • 2-3 tbsp of oil (I prefer mustard oil).
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 2 tbsp cayenne or chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste (I use rock salt)
  • 1.5 tbsp amchur (dry mango powder)

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Process:

  1. Wash and wipe dry the Okra. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
  2. Trim both ends, slit each of them vertically. Be careful not to break or cut it into half.
  3. Combine all the spices, add oil and mix it up.
  4. Fill each Okra with the spice mix.
  5. Layer in a baking sheet and bake for 25 mins
  6. If cooking on stove top. Heat a tbsp of oil in a skillet, add the stuffed Okra and cook until tender.

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Notes:

  • The Okra needs to be dry with no trace of water. Water causes Okra to get slimy.

Jhaal Bhindi (Okra in spicy mustard sauce)

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‘Jhaal’ in Bangla means spicy. But when talking in context of a dish, it takes a whole new meaning.

Bengali cuisine has 3 main types of sauce/gravy, the everyday light and soupy ‘Jhol’, the rich and thick ‘Dalna’ and the mustard sauce based ‘Jhal’. Traditionally the primary ingredient in Jhal is fish. Since I fell in love and married a South Indian brahmin boy who cannot tolerate the smell of fish, I improvise and usually make it with eggs instead. I know! Love gets you to make all sorts of sacrifices, in this case, Fish. If your not from India, then here’s some context, the staple food of a Bengali household is fish. And for a bengali to sacrifice her daily dose of ‘Maach Bhaath’ (Fish curry and rice) is a big deal!!

This Sunday at the local farmers market I found a farmer selling Okra, fresh organically grown local Okra. This being my favorite vegetable, it almost felt like hitting a jackpot so I went ahead and bought 5 lbs. Essentially, we will be eating a lot of Okra for the next few days. I looked at the Okra and the hard boiled eggs next to it and thought, why not. So here goes.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I really dig how shallots integrate into the gravy and give it a smooth sweet flavor and thats exactly what is needed for this recipe to work. I also recommend using Plum tomatoes because it has more meat, less seeds and its perfect for creamy sauces. See picture below.

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Time for Prep: 20 mins     Time to Cook: 30-40 mins    Yield: 6 servings    Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Okra, cut in 1 inch long chunks.
  • Oil, to cook the Okra (1 tbsp if baking, 4 tbsp if frying)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp cayenne or chilli powder
  • 2 tsp mustard oil
  • 2 Shallots, chopped
  • 1 plum tomato, chopped
  • 3-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit.
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup water

For the mustard paste:

  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 4-5 fresh green chili pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • water

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Process:

For the mustard paste:

  1. Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in water for 30 mins
  2. Drain and transfer into a blender, add clove of garlic and green chili peppers. Blend with water until thick and smooth paste.
  3. Pour in a bowl and set aside

For the Okra:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F, layer okra on a baking sheet drizzle with oil and bake for 30 mins. (or) Heat oil in a skillet, fry the Okra till it turns bright green. Sprinkle salt and chili powder when done and set aside.
  2. In a heavy bottom pan, 1 tsp of oil. Add the shallots, sauté for 3-5 mins, then add tomato and green chili and cook for an additional 4-5 mins.
  3. Add the mustard paste, mix and let cook for 2 mins. Add water and bring to a boil. Add salt, chili powder and turmeric and simmer for 3-4 mins, until it begins to become thick.
  4. Add the cooked Okra in, be gentle when folding it in. Simmer for 2-3 mins.
  5. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes:

  • Be careful not to over cook the mustard paste, it tends to become slightly bitter.
  • You can double the quality of mustard paste and store refrigerated in an airtight container for 14-15 days.
  • Feel free to replace Okra with your favorite vegetable, don’t forget to leave a comment here to let me know how it turned out.

Deem er Dalna (Egg curry)

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This dish made regular appearance in our lunch/dinner table growing up. My sister and I would save the egg yolk for the end, then moosh it with an extra serving of just gravy and relish it. And as far I remember, we never had any left overs of this dish, ever! All of us loved it, which meant second and third helpings and a wager over the last bite.  My husband loves it too, so the tradition continues.

This is my go-to recipe when I am craving for something quick, easy and spicy.

Time for Prep: 10 mins     Time to Cook: 25 mins    Yield: 6 servings  Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 1 medium sized plum tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 cup frozen of fresh green peas
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 3-4 green chili pepper, chopped
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne or chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1.5 cups water

Process:

  1. Slit the hard boiled eggs and rub salt and turmeric on them.
  2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the eggs and sauté for 2-3 mins. Remove from oil and set aside.
  3. To the same oil add the cumin and bay leaves, sauté till cumin start gets browned and gives out fragrance.
  4. Add onions and salt, stir it a little, reduce heat and let the onions caramelize. Usually takes around 7-8 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes and green chili pepper and cook for another 5 mins. Then add the tomato paste, stir it in, increase the heat let cook for a min.
  5. Add turmeric, coriander and chilli powder, stir close the lid and let cook for 1-2 mins.
  6. Add the green peas and water, bring to a boil.
  7. Add the eggs, cover and simmer for 5-6 mins, until the green peas are cooked.
  8. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with Rice, Jeera rice, Pulao or Roti.

Notes:

  • Sometimes I use Panch Phoron instead of the cumin seeds.
  • I prefer using mustard oil, but if your not used to the flavor or the smell, then use whichever oil your prefer.
  • My mom also added ginger and garlic (both minced), before adding the tomatoes. I prefer the taste without them.
  • You can also puree the onion-tomato-spices gravy base in a blender, after sautéing, before adding water if you prefer a smooth gravy.