Bhinda nu shaak – Curried Okra

Bhinda is the Gujarati name for okra (lady fingers) and shaak is the Gujarati name for a dish made of vegetables and spices. It refers to any vegetable that is made with or without gravy and is served with chapatti or rice.

Bhinda can be prepared in a few ways. You can have stuffed bhinda which is stuffed with fresh coriander and spices, bhinda stir fry a dry dish made with little oil and stir fried with few spices, bhinda ni kadhi  which is made with a spicy yoghurt gravy, bhinda bateta is a stir fry that is made with potato and of course bhinda masala which is prepared with onions, garlic, tomatoes and spices. My daughter really loves this last version hence why I cook it this way the most.

Bhinda are very sticky and slimy when cut and that’s why you must make sure that they are dried well once washed. When buying bhinda, always choose ones that are green and tender. I usually snap the end off to check. If it snaps off easily then it means they are good and are tender.

Serves 3-4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

375g bhinda (okra) washed, wiped, cut lengthways and halved

2 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion sliced

1 tsp garlic paste

½ tsp ginger paste

Salt to taste

Turmeric

2 tsp chilli powder

2-3 tsp coriander cumin powder

1 fresh medium tomato chopped

4-5 tbsp water

Instructions

Heat oil in a medium frying pan.

Add mustard seeds and let pop followed by the cumin seeds.

Next add your sliced onions and stir well.

Add salt and leave onions to cook until slightly browned.

Mix in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder and cook for a 1 minute.

Stir in the bhinda (okra), add coriander and cumin powder and cook for another minute or so.

Then add the chopped tomato and cook covered until the tomatoes have softened.

Add 2-3 spoons of water (more if required) and cook covered until the bhinda (okra) are cooked through (approx. 10-12 minutes).

Serve hot with delicious buttered chapattis!