Bhindi Aloo Tawa fry masala(okra and potatoes in a tangy indian gravy)

Am back yet again with another recipe of Bhindi(Okra)..Bhindi Tawa fry Masala this time,and with some fried crispy potatoes alongwith.

Reiterating what I wrote in my earlier post(http://www.indraniskitchenflavours.blogspot.in/2013/04/okra-with-garmflour-bhindi-with-besan.html), I dispise bhindi..really bhindi never could warm up to my taste buds.The slimy texture just is just too temperamental to be tamed and can go haywire if not taken care of.

It is a laborious task to wash the bhindis(Okra), taxing enough to dry them, and fry them taking utmost care that there is no sliminess achieved while not drying up with all the masalas.Bhindi tends to dry up very fast if cooked for long whereas on the other hand even with a drop of water it tends to develop a certain slimy texture of unappealing nature. Hence bhindi hardly features in my kitchen arsenal,and especially it never features during house events ..why take the risk?

However this particular dish is an awesome find on bhindis and even for a person like me who doesnt often savour bhindi finds it gloriously yummy.And from collegues who devoured my lunch box at work, I am convinced that this is a glorious recipe worth to go as one of your main vegetarian dishes .A little taxing though yet the results in terms of both taste and texture is outstanding.And not just a gravy,it is the tangier version of the thick gravy that which is called tawa fry..The gravy is thicker and tangier too,unlike a runny thin gravy and just about coats the vegetables.

While I could never champion the art of frying bhindi without getting slimy I choose to use the combination mode(microwave and grill mode) of the microwave to cook the bhindi, with the grill option making them crispy.The bets part of this dish is that the bhindis are not cooked in the gravy but just added to the gravy when its almost done.This way, it ensure that the bhindis remain its crispiness and gets coated with the masala on the outer edge.

That I guess is the best way to achieve the right texture of the bhindis, not too crinky, nor too slimy, just the perfect crispiness that soaks in a luxurious tangy tawa fry thick gravy.Plus bhindi and aloo is a tremendous combination, hence I have used both crispy fried potatoes and bhindi that gets soaked in this masala.

Ingredientsbhindi(okra)- 250 gms
cashewnut paste- 1/4th cup
tomato puree- 2 tbsp.
onion- 1 large grated
tomato- 2 small grated
cumin powder- 1 tsp
coriander powder- 2 tsp.
MDH tawa fry masala- 1 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
asafodia- 1/2 tsp
milk- 1/4th cup
potatoes- 2-3 boiled

For frying the bhindis and potatoesA little of cumin powder,coriander powder, salt, pepper,oil, red chilli powder , turmeric powder mixed together for coating

MethodWash the bhindis, pat dry and keep them asideIn a bowl add, the bhindis, add oil, coriander, cumin powder, chilli powder,salt, pepper, turmeric powder and put them under the combination mode for about 6 minutes.The combination mode will cook the bhindis and grill them at the same time.After 6 minutes, when the bhindis are slight cooked put them back on the grill mode for another 6 minutes. They will come out perfectly crispy.However keep checking in between so that the bhindis do not dry up and turn crinky.Similarly add turmeric powder, salt, cumin coriander powder an dred chilli powder to the sliced boiled potatoes and fry them in oil. keep asideIn a pan add oil and asafodia. Add cumin seeds and add the onions.Fry till the raw smell disappears and add turmeric powder, coriander- cumin powder, ginger garlic paste and fry for a while.Now add the tomato paste and continue frying adding salt.Add tomato puree and the tawa fry masla and fry.If the masala sticks to the bottom add some water and keep frying.Add the cashewnut paste and add water/milk if required and cover the lid and let it simme ron low flame.Remove the lid in about 6 minutes , and put the bhindis and the potatoes. Cover gain for some time until done and until the bhindis and the potatoes soak in the masala and is coated from all sides.Dont overcook,just put in for about 1 minute, since the bhindis and potatoes are already cooked.They just need to be coated with the masala.Also if you keep it for long, the bhindies will loose its crispiness
Plz note that the hero of this recipe is the tawa fry masla, that which brings in the right kind of tanginess and achives the name as it is called..I use the MDH variety..if you cant find it in your local grocery stores, you can do with a little amount of aamchur(dry mango powder) ,garam masala powder,black salt, dried pomegranate seeds powder.mace or nutmeg,red chillies

A scrumptious bhindi tawa fry masala is ready to be enjoyed with your rotis/ phulkas(Indian Bread), or even rice.The thick masala coating the crispy bhindi and the aloo with the tanginess of the tawa fry masla is too inviting to your taste and is perfect as your maincourse dish .In fact the crispiness of the potatoes and bhindis is what gives the taste and the crunchiness with the luxurious thick masala bringing out the richness of the recipe.

For all you people not too fond of bhindis like me, this is a delightful take on this unappealing veggie and am sure it will earn your indulgence as it earned mine .And maybe bhindis might just find its way to your grocery bag frequently.

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