K's Bhindi Masala (Spicy Okra)

This is my cousin, K's, recipe. How do bachelor guys cook when they live on their own? With some perseverance.. quite decent! :)

Fig. 1. K's Bhindi Masala

When you have neither time nor cooking skills and about 5 spices in your kitchen you really learn to appreciate straightforward recipes, the flavour of vegetables and the value of keeping salt on the table! ;)

This recipe is something my cousin got from his roommate's friend who got it from Sanjeev Kapoor's book. With second-third-hand filtering going on here.. one expects only minimal remnants of the original recipe. However, this dish tastes surprisingly decent! And considering how quickly it got made, this certainly qualifies as a "will-repeat" recipe in my book!

Bhenda Upkari (Spiced Okra)

Hi everyone! Today's post is a somewhat traditional dish - Bhenda Upkari or Spiced Okra (Ladyfingers). This is a simple preparation as long as you have the required ingredients. My favorite dish to make for myself.

 

Fig. 1. Bhenda Upkari

Lot of people really don't like Bhindi. But I so love it! Actually I didn't know that I liked it. Then I didn't eat it for many years. Family here doesn't like it at all. So I didn't cook what I figured no one else would eat. I thought that I am probably ok without Bhindi and simply never made it. Then after many years I happened to eat Bhindi back home. And I remembered how de-licious it was! Oh, I had missed Bhindi, my darling Bhindi.. for all these years and I didn't even know it!! 

(Very filmy I know.. Jaaney Tu Ya Jaaney Naa-sque.. My lost and found love for the vegetable next door!) -- PJ Queen strikes again!

Now I look for excuses to make this for myself, (just for myself if necessary), but once in a while I make it. And what's really sweet, out of consideration for me now my family members are pushing themselves to just barely eat one-serving of Bhindi! :) If they eat even one-serving that is ok with me! Thanks people! :)

These few weeks I am visiting a friend who loves Bhindi in all its forms. So now I intend to make as much Bhindi as possible to last my tastebuds and my blog a lifetime! :D

This dish is a traditional preparation. This is my Mom's recipe. I am not sure, maybe several communities in Karnataka might make it. I cannot be sure about its exact authenticity or roots. Anyway, here goes..