Sookha Bhindi sabzi

Bhindi, also known as Lady’s finger / Okra is a popular and nutritious vegetable available in India. It is used in cuisines all over the world.

SOOKHA BHINDI SABZI

BHINDI / OKRA / LADY's FINGER

CHOPPED BHINDI / OKRA

If you freeze bhindi and cut it when it is frozen, it will be less slimy than when you cut it fresh.

Soak the bhindi in vinegar for half an hour before cooking it. Rinse it and pat dry before cooking. This is another way of reducing sliminess of the bhindi.

A lot is dependant on how you cook the bhindi. Cooking at high heat eliminates the slime. Also do not close the lid of the kadhai / pan while dry frying the bhindi sabzi as closing the lid will generate steam which in turn will create more slime and make the sabzi mushy.

Bhindi is used in the preparation of vegetable dishes in various ways. It is prepared in dry, semi dry and with gravy versions.

I begin with dry bhindi sabzi preparation.

INGREDIENTS :

(1) 1/2 kg chopped Bhindi / Okra pieces

(2) 2 tbsp Vegetable oil. You may use mustard oil too.

(3) a pinch of Fenugreek / Methi seeds

(4) 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

(5) 2 tsp Jeera / Cumin powder

(6) 2 tsp Dhaniya / Coriander powder

(7) 1 tsp Amchoor / Dry Mango powder

(8) 1 tsp Chilli powder

(9) Salt to taste

Time required : 25 mins ( 10 mins for preparation and 15 mins for cooking )

Cuisine - North Indian

Serves :  3-4 persons.

METHOD :

(1) Some hybrid varieties of okra may be subjected to insecticide/ pesticide sprays. Thats the reason, we first wash the pods thoroughly in cold water in order to remove dirt, soil and any residual insecticides. Keep them on a plate to dry on their own or wipe with a kitchen towel. Drying up the okra pods will make them less slimy when cut.

(2) Remove the base and stalk while chopping the bhindi, chop into half inch pieces.

(3) Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a kadhai / pan. Add a pinch of fenugreek seeds and when they splutter, add turmeric powder. 

(4) Now, add chopped bhindi and fry for 2 to 3 mins. 

(5) Add all the dry spice powders one by one - 2 tsp Jeera / Cumin powder, 2 tsp Dhaniya / Coriander powder, 1 tsp Amchoor / dry Mango powder, 1 tsp Chilli powder and Salt to taste. Mix well.

After mixing ....

(6) Stir fry for 10 mins. When the crunchy bhindi becomes soft, that means they are cooked. 

(7) Transfer the sabzi to a serving dish.

(8) Serve Sookha Bhindi as a vegetable dish with Phulkas or Chapatis or as a side dish with rice dal or any Rice Curry combo.

FAQ :
Question : Why does my Bhindi / Okra sabzi become slimy / sticky?

Answer : 

The sticky fluid or slime that oozes out of the Okra/Bhindi/Lady’s finger pod /piece when it is cut is known as mucilage. It is found present around the seeds on the inside of the okra pod. It is made of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Many don’t like stickiness of the bhindi sabzi and find it annoying. So, they avoid cooking and eating bhindi sabzi. Even if they cook, they cook it without cutting, leaving the pods whole or dry cook using frying method. There are ways of reducing the slime that bhindi produces and thereby making the sabzi less or no sticky at all.

As the slimes oozes out from the cuts on the bhindi, we minimise the cuts by cutting the bhindi as less as  possible, that is little larger sized pieces. Before chopping also, we follow the drying of the pods. That is wash the pods for cleaning them and then pat dry using a clean kitchen towel or place the pods on a place and air dry on it own. Water contact of the bhindi when cut also causes it to produce more slime and get sticky. Drying the pods will reduce the slime and resulting stickiness.

Soak the bhindi in vinegar for half an hour before cooking it. Rinse it and pat dry before cooking. This is another way of reducing sliminess of the bhindi.

Adding salt while cooking also bring out the water from the bhindi and cause it to stick together. So we must add salt after the bhindi is half cooked.

Adding a tea spoon of lemon juice to any bhindi dish will reduce the stickiness.

A few drops of butter milk can also be added to the bhindi sabzi while cooking to avoid stickiness.