Ladies finger

Description

Bhindi is definitely the staple food of my house like hundreds of other households in our country. It is so versatile and cooked in various forms regionally. I am sure we all have our favourites. In my mom house its almost always made with either sliced onions or small sambar onions (used as whole, stuffed with spices) and is delicious. I usually cook it without onions since my daughter prefers it like that (and she can eat bhindi EVERYDAY, like her father!!).. Personally, I am not a very big fan of bhindi but do not mind it occasionally. So, when I initially tried making bhindi, in UK as a student (I could not cook much then), I always ended up with a mushy mess and maybe that is why I stopped enjoying it! But of course, I made my mistakes and, in the process, learnt small little tricks to get it right each time.

Ingredients

• 250 g Cut Bhindi
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 67 dashes Curry Leaves
• Asafoetida(I practically use it in everything but is optional)
• ½ tsp Cumin
• Salt - To Taste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Red Chilly Powder
• 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Dry Mango Powder

Steps

1. Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves, cumin and asafoetida.
2. Now add the cut bhindi, salt and turmeric, mix well and cook on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes with covering it. Keep stirring after each minute.
3. After 5-7 minutes of cooking, cook covered for another 5 minuteson low heat. Stir in between once or twice.
4. Bhindi should be done to 70% or so by now. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder and dry mango powder, mix well and cook covered for 2 minutes.
5. Then increase the flame to medium high and cook while stirring or tossing for another 2 minutes.
6. Basically we are looking at a total cooking time of 15 minutesor so.
7. Bhindi is ready, garnish with fresh coriander and serve!!