bhindi curry / okra curry / ladies finger curry

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Indian Okra Curry / Sarson wali Bhindi ki sabzi

Today´s recipe is a delicious and tasty curry made with okra pampered in a lovely mustard sauce. When I first saw this recipe in a TV show, it sounded very interesting. But I was quite apprehensive about the result. I have tried other veggies with mustard sauce like aava pettina arati kura where raw plantains are cooked in mustard seeds paste and tamarind gravy. But ladies finger in mustard sauce was something new to me. I tried it immediately and the curry was awesome.

The pungent taste of black mustard seeds is dominated by the sweetness from the sugar, the sourness from tomatoes and the spiciness from the chillies. It has got a totally new and unique flavour which goes very well with rice or roti or chapathi. This mustard sauce gives both the flavours of sweet and hot ( pungent ) tastes. The addition of tomato balances all the remaining flavours. So, this curry is the combo of all the tastes - sweet, sour and hotness.  

I love this ladies finger because of many reasons. Firstly, this is a low calorie veggie rich in calcium and other necessary minerals. Secondly, this being a versatile veggie that can be used and cooked in various forms. I have already shared the basic bhindi tomato curry and the stew ( bendakaya pulusu ) which is so very prefect for a windy or a chilli afternoon meal.

This sarson wali bhindi sabzi is a variation from the routine okra fry. The preparation of this curry is also very simple with a small process of frying the bhindi, preparing the sauce ( gravy ) and cooking off together. Its always advisable to use tender okra for any bhindi curry. Now, lets not waste any more time and get straight into the preparation of this curry.

Preparation

Wash the bhindi and wipe with a kitchen cloth. Chop off the edges and cut the bhindi into 2" pieces.

Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.

Fry the chopped okra in batches.

Fry until the okra withers. The okra should be completely cooked and the edges should be brown in colour as shown in the pic below. 

Prepare the sauce with the items listed under ´To Grind´.

Now heat oil in another pan.

Add kalonji seeds. Adding these onion seeds will give a lovely flavour to the curry. You can skip if not interested. 

Fry for a minute and add the finely chopped onions.

Add sugar and mix well. The addition of sugar gives an amazing caramelising effect on the onions.

Saute the onions until brown in colour. Now add the turmeric powder and the ground paste.

Add sufficient water and mix well.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and salt and cook covered.

When the tomatoes are cooked, add the fried bhindi pieces and mix well.

Check for seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot as a side dish with rice, roti or chapathi.

Ingredients

Bhindi  250g

Sugar  2 tsp

Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

Onions  1

Kalonji seeds ( onion seeds ) 1 tsp 

Oil  1 tbsp.

Salt  to taste

Chilli powder 2 tsp

Oil  to deep fry

Coriander leaves  to garnish

To grind

Cumin seeds  1 tsp 

Chilli powder  1tsp

Mustard seeds  1 1/2 tbsp

Coriander seeds  1 tbsp.

Water little 

Method

1. Chop the okra into 2 " pieces and keep aside.
2. Deep fry the okra pieces in oil until cooked. Keep aside.
3. Grind the items listed under the ´To Grind´ table. Keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add kalonji seeds. 
5. Add chopped onions and sugar. Cook until brown in colour. 
6. Add turmeric powder and the ground paste. 
7. Add water, chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well and cook covered. 
8. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the fried okra and mix well.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes

• Increase/decrease the amount of chilli powder according to your taste buds.
• You can use the ready made mustard paste instead of the mustard seeds. 
• You can also use the yellow mustard seeds instead of the black mustard seeds. 
• Adding tomato is optional. But it gives a nice taste to the curry. 
• This rai wali bhindi curry is a semi-gravy dish which is perfect for both rice and chapathi. 
• Do not skip on adding the sugar to the curry.

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paneer ki bhurji / paneer bhurji

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Paneer Bhurji / Paneer Bhurji Recipe

After all the sweet and snack recipes, I am back with another delicious curry or side dish - Paneer burji. This is a regular day to day dish which is very yummy and can be prepared in a jiffy. Paneer bhurji goes well as a side dish for roti, chapathi or even rice. I sometimes use this curry as a stuffing for a chapathi roll topped with finely chopped onions, tomato ketchup and a dash of lemon juice for my kids. They simply love it. 

I have used homemade paneer for the preparation of this burji. You can also use store bought paneer as per your convenience. The soft and crumbled paneer, crunchy onions, tangy tomatoes and the mild spices altogether bring out a unique flavor. This is a rich curry with mild spices. 

Recipes such as these can be twisted and tweaked to suit our tastes. We can play around with the spices that go into the dish. You can add in a variety of spices such as a pinch of chat masala powder, aamchoor powder, dried mint powder ( or fresh mint leaves ), kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ),.etc., . Always feel free to include any kind of spices in these dishes to get the flavour that our family requires. There is no such necessity to stick to the measurement given in the recipe below.

Preparation

Crumble the paneer with your hands and keep aside. Heat butter or ghee in a pan.

Throw in the mustard and cumin seeds.

Once they crackle, add the finely chopped garlic pieces.

When they discolour, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. 

Saute until the onions turn pink in colour. Now add the chopped tomato pieces and turmeric powder.

Mix well and add salt. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Mix it well. Add the crumbled paneer and mix gently.

Finish off with coriander leaves and check for seasoning.

Serve hot as a side dish for either chapathi, roti or rice.

Ingredients

Paneer  250g

Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds  1 tsp

Butter / Ghee 2 tbsp

Onion  1

Garlic  1 tbsp ( chopped )

Green chillies  2

Tomato  1

Salt  to taste

Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

Chilli powder  1 tsp

Garam masala powder  1 tsp

Coriander leaves  to garnish

Method

1. Crumble paneer and keep aside.
2. Heat butter or ghee in a pan. 
3. Add mustard and cumin seeds. 
4. When they splutter, add garlic and cook until they turn into golden brown.
5. Now add the onions and green chillies. Saute until transparent.
6. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt and cook until they turn mushy. 
7. Add the garam masalapowder and chilli powders and mix well.
8. Now add the crumbled paneer and give a gentle mix. 
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi, rice or roti.

Notes

• Add any kind of spices like coriander powder, cumin powder, chat masala, mint powder, kasuri methi powder, etc., to enhance the flavour.
• This curry can be used as a stuffing for chapathi roll for kids lunch box. Just top the curry with finely chopped onions, tomato ketchup and a dash of lemon juice. Mix it well and wrap it in the roll. 
• My mom includes ginger garlic paste instead of garlic pieces which makes it more masaledaar.
• Any kind of bell peppers ( red, yellow or green colours ) or capsicum can be added to give that extra crunchiness.
• Few spring onions gives a lovely aroma and a unique taste to it. 

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capsicum ka salan recipe / capsicum gravy masala

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Capsicum ka Salan / Capsicum Salan Curry

Capsicum salan or mirchi ka salan is an interesting and tasty curry which goes well with any flavored rice, pulavs, roti, chapathi and even plain rice. Capsicum is very healthy which is rich in vitamins A, C and K. They also have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Capsicum are also rich in vitamin B6 and magnesium. They also help to burn more calories. Coloured capsicum are more efficient than the regular green ones. So whenever I find them,

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Mixed Vegetable Curry / Vegetable Curry / Mixed Veg Curry

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Mixed Vegetable Curry / Vegetable Curry / Mixed Veg Curry

Dinners are always special in our home. After a day long of hard work, everybody wants a yummy meal and a good night's sleep. This is what relaxes a man, especially the head of the family who

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Mushroom Dahi Kurma / Mushroom Kurma

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Mushroom Dahi Korma / Mushroom Korma 

Mushroom Dahi Kurma is a rich creamy gravy flavored with Indian spices especially black pepper. This goes well with any Indian flat bread or any flavored rice. This curry is very simple to prepare but needs a little bit of prior preparation. In this recipe the mushrrom is

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Paneer Capsicum Curry

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Paneer Capsicum Curry

Paneer is a favourite in our family and is prepared very often. I got bored of preparing the same old paneer butter masala and some other common dishes. Last week, I was going through a non-veg book (presented by my neighbour ) where the chicken was marinated in a gravy and then cooked on a low flame. I tried the same with paneer and it was superb. Using homemade paneer would yield a more rich curry.

This is a simple curry

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Dum Aloo

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Yesterday, I went for my regular veggie shopping and found baby potatoes . I immediately grabbed one packet keeping in mind Dum aloo curry

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