Taste of India, Charleston, SC, Teaches Us How To Make Bhindi Masala

 
 
 
 
This is a video shot by VegginOutAnd About! at the Taste of India Restaurant in Charleston, SC, on how to make Bhindi (Okra) Masala:
 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tablespoons high quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup freshly chopped tomatoes, plus a tablespoon for garnish
1 cup fried okra
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder (you may use cayenne)
1/8 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 cup onion sauce
chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

Put 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil in hot skillet.  Add 1/2  teaspoon cumin seeds. Add 1/4 cup chopped onions and cook for about a minute on medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric and stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes. Stir together constantly as you cook. Add one cup fried okra.* Add 1/4-1/2  teaspoon chili powder.** Add 1/8 teaspoon cumin powder and 1/8 teaspoon coriander powder. Add 1/4 cup onion sauce.*** Plate and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and tomato. Serve hot with a side of brown jasmine or basmati rice.

Notes:

*The way I’ve observed Indian restaurants doing this is they submerge the okra in a fryer vat for only 30 seconds or so, then immediately removed and drained. They do the same thing with eggplant. This pre-cooks them a little and adds a sheen to their appearance. These are not fried to a crispy state.

**This is a powder made from hot red Indian chili peppers. You can find it an any Indian grocery or you can substitute cayenne pepper in its place. 

***Onion sauce can be found in jars in any Indian grocery store. You can also make your own. I keep my homemade onion sauce on hand in 1 cup portions in my freezer.