Bhindi Masala (Okra)

Okra is one of my favorite vegetables or fruit? Who cares, its yummy. It is now early June and California okra growers are at the beggining of the peak production season. So, EAT California Okra as much as possible for the next three months!

1 ½  lb okra/bhindi
3 small  onions, chopped long thinly
5 green Chilies or Jalapenos
1 inch ginger
10 cloves garlic
4 tomatoes ripe red
3 tbsp Oil
3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
Salt as required
coriander leaves to taste (Cilantro)  

1. Half grind garlic, ginger, chilies, coriander leaves, do not grind to paste.
2. Add salt, little oil, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder in to the mixture and keep it aside.
3. Slit the bhindis from the center slicing the length
4. Now fill bhindis with all the prepared mixture.
5. Heat oil in a wide pan-  add onions, stir and then slide bhindis gently in the pan.
6. Stir it gently so that the masala does not come out. Keep it on slow fire and cover it with lid, let it cook till the bhindis have become dark green in color and almost cooked.

Now add finely chopped tomatoes. Again cover it with the lid and cook it on slow fire till the tomatoes almost disappear.
Serve with hot your favorite rice or bread.

Side Note: if you do not have the patience (like me most of the time) to stuff the bhindis, simple sauté everything in the pan for about 20 minutes. Follow the rest of the instructions so the tomatoes do not overwhelm the dish.  

Do not cook okra in pans made of iron, copper or brass. Even though the flavor remains unaffected, the metal creates a chemical reaction that turns pods black.