stuffed bhindi or bharela bhinda

Updated on 13/10/2018

Ladyfingers,okra or bhindi is a very popular vegetable in India. Its cooked dry, used in sambhars, made with tomatoes or with a  gravy, depending on the type of cuisine. Gujaratis normally cook it dry. The Japanese use okra to make tempura. In Malaysia its stuffed with fish paste and in other parts of the world, the slime helps to thicken a soup.  It is a slimy vegetable, which is reduced when cooked dry. Most kids  love bhindi.  Nikil my son loves stuffed bhindi. Whenever we visit hubby’s aunt (foi), she always gives me some vegetable that has been either grown at home or at their office yard. Right from brinjals, doodhi to spinach. This time round she gave me these fresh young tender ladyfingers. The first thing I could think of to make was stuffed bhinda and I had a bit of stuffing in the fridge. I usually wipe the ladyfngers with a damp cloth to avoid the vegetable getting all slimy.If the ladyfingers are dirty, then wash it in a colander and dry out on a cloth before you use it.

As for the stuffing, there are so many varieties, again depending on the different regions of India. Some are made with chickpea flour, some with coconut and peanut, some are stuffed with only dry spice powders, some are stuffed with poppy seed paste. The varieties are endless.

I’ve used a stuffing that I learnt from my mother in law and everyone in the family enjoys this style stuffed bhindi. We usually make it with aamras and khadi or when we make shrikhand. However, now that its just hubby and me at home, I usually serve it with a dal and roti.

The tip to keeping the bhindi as green as possible is to add turmeric powder to the oil before you add the stuffed bhindi and to cook them on slow heat without a lid. We are lucky that we get really good quality bhindi in Kenya. They cook pretty fast and have a sweetish taste. I find that bhindis take a longer time to cook in India and they are almost tasteless.

1. Wipe the bhindi with a damp cloth. Tim the top off.
2. Make a slit in each bhindi in the middle lengthwise. Avoid slitting the top and bottom bit.
3. Stuff the bhindi with the stuffing.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When it is hot add the seeds. When they begin to splutter, add the hing and turmeric powder.
5. Gently place the stuffed bhindi into the pan. Cook the bhindi over low flame for 10 minutes or until nearly done. Shake the pan occasionally.
6. Add the salt and let the bhindi cook till done.
7. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with roti.

 

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