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If you are an indian like me and loves celebrating a gazillion festivities that come along every month or even twice a month, I find it difficult to stay away from all the fried food plus the sweet tooth won’t leave me alone! Normalcy is what I want after all the relentless food hogging. So I made okra aloo sabzi to get back to my routine life and no complains there, because it tasted exactly how my mom used to make it when we were kids.

Okra, also known as bhindi is gluten-free dry curry that goes along with plain or sweetened yogurt, some onions on the side served with freshly cooked phulkas. So comforting, so mundane and oh so good. Add less chilli powder to turn this recipe into a kid friendly version.

Ingredients:

  • 8-10 garlic cloves (mortar and pestle it)
  • 2 small green chilies – finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion – finely chopped
  • 2 small potatoes – roughly chopped
  • 500 grams bhindi (roughly 20-25 okra sticks)
  • 1/4th up oil
  • Ghee

Masala Mixture:

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (Haldi)
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (Laal mirch)
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder (Dhana jeeru)
  • 1/2 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala (Ground spices blend)
  • 1 tsp asafoetida (Hing powder)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Selecting and preparing the okra:

Buy medium sized okra sticks that are not mature and not too stringy. Rinse the okra under running water, pat using kitchen towels or air dry until all the moisture from the okra surfaces is gone. Wet okra could make the sabzi texture slimy.

Method:

  1. Heat the cauldron and add 1/4th cup oil to the cauldron.
  2. In the hot oil, add garlic cloves to the oil and sauté until the garlic color starts turning brown.
  3. Add finely chopped green chilies to the oil and saute the garlic and chilies, until the chilies start changing their color to a darker shade. (not burnt though).
  4. Add chopped potatoes and evenly coat all the potatoes with the garlicky paste by mixing.
  5. Add the masala mixture to the potatoes. The masala mixture will make the potatoes cook faster.
  6. Cover the lid for 3 minutes on a medium flame until the potatoes get mushy.
  7. Add finely chopped onions after 3 mintues to the potato mixture and let the onions turn translucent (roughly 2 minutes).
  8. Add the medium sized cut okra sticks to the potato onion mixture.
  9. Cover the lid for 5-6 minutes and let all the onions, potatoes and okra simmer into the masala mixture slowly on medium flame.
  10. Add a second round of salt, chili powder and garam masala right after okra starts getting mushy. Adjust quantity of the masala mixture per taste. Skip this step if making a kid-friendly less spicy version.
  11. Add one heaving spoon of ghee after the oil starts leaving the curry, and a nice aroma of okra is felt.
  12. Turn off the gas and keep the lid on the cauldron intact for 5 minutes.
  13. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with sliced onions and phulkas.