Lady finger or bhindi is also known as okra and can be cooked in different ways. You can try making bhindi fry, bhindi masala, stuffed bhindi, and even add in curries. Lady finger makes a perfect side dish for any meal. All three styles are my favorite and I love my meal when bhindi is included in it. Not only me but usually everyone loves it. So let us try today how to make Bharwa Bhindi or stuffed bhindi. Stuffed Bhindi is actually a dry vegetable dish which is prepared in a main course with dal, curry or raita, and eaten with any flatbread like phulka’s, bhakri, etc. This can be prepared spicy and you can also add little bit of sugar to enhance its flavors. So let us check out the recipe.
Ingredients:
250 gm Lady Finger/ Bhindi/ Okra
1 Cup Gram Flour
3 Tbsp Oil
1½ Tsp Red Chili Powder
¾ Tsp Turmeric Powder
½ Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
½ Tsp Dry Mango Powder
1 Tsp Sugar
Pinch of Asafoetida
2 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro
¼ tsp Everest Garam Masala
1 Tsp Sesame Seeds
1 Tsp Grated Coconut
Salt as per taste
Method:
- Wash the lady fingers and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively, you can dry them under the fan. Once the lady fingers are thoroughly dry, cut both the ends of it and make a gentle slit on it lengthwise. Remember, not to cut the lady fingers in half. Keep them aside.
- Now, to prepare the stuffing roast the gram flour in a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of oil on medium heat stirring continuously till the flour changes its color.
- Once done, remove the roasted gram flour in a bowl and let it cool.
- After about five minutes, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste, dry mango powder, sesame seeds, salt, and powdered sugar into the flour.
- Now add Everest Garam Masala and chopped cilantro into the stuffing and mix well. Your stuffing is ready now to fill in the lady fingers.
- Take a lady finger and fill the gram flour stuffing into it carefully with the help of thumb. Do the same with the remaining lady fingers.
- Heat the remaining oil in a wide non-stick pan. Arrange the lady fingers in a single layer in the pan.
- Toss the pan to give the lady fingers a gentle stir and cover it with a lid.
- After couple of minutes, take off the lid and gently stir the lady fingers. Cook the stuffed lady fingers on low heat to prevent them from burning. Keep stirring after 1-2 minutes for even cooking.
- The stuffed lady fingers will become tender and turn dark green when cooked. Now sprinkle the remaining stuffing (if any) on the lady fingers and cook for couple of minutes.
- Once the stuffed lady fingers are done, turn off the heat and remove them in a serving plate. Garnish it with grated coconut and chopped cilantro.
You can use coconut powder with peanut powder or coriander powder with cumin powder instead of gram flour as a stuffing for lady fingers. Also you can add finely chopped onions in gram flour stuffing which will bring natural sweetness and give a nice aroma to the dish. Just try to maintain the oil quantity as more oil will bring the vegetable very crispy and less oil will make the vegetable stick to the pan.
