Tomato Bhindi Curry

#TomatoBhindiCurry : Lady finger is known as Bhindi in Hindi and generally called #Okra.
This vegetable is rich in dietary fibers, Vitamin A, C and K. The tender ones are consumed which is a good source of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and manganese.
Okra is one of the rich sources of mucilage substance which help in smooth passage of digested food through the gut thus preventing constipation.
The young pods are used as vegetable and is very tasty. Many different varieties of curries, gravies, snacks can be prepared using okra.
Recently in a food show on a Tamil TV channel, a famous cook by name Revathy Shanmugam demonstrated a recipe with this wonder vegetable. It was quite interesting with minimum ingredients. So today I thought I would give it a try. It came out very well. I followed her recipe and here and there altered to suit my taste
Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients :

12 - 15                             Lady finger [ okra ], cut into 1 in. long pieces
3                                      Tomato
1 medium size                   Onion, chop nicely
10 - 12 cloves                  Garlic, nicely chop.
1                                      Green chilly, slit lengthwise
10                                    Curry leaves

1/4 Tsp                            Red chilly powder [ adjust ]
1/2 Tsp                           Cumin Powder
1 pinch                            Turmeric powder
2 pinch                            Asafoetida powder
1/2 Tsp                           Cumin.
1 Tsp                               Salt

1 Tsp                               Lemon juice [ optional ]
4 Tsp                              Gingelly oil [ til / sesame oil ]
1 cup oil to fry lady finger [ okra ] pieces.

Method :
Dry the pieces of lady finger in the Sun for half an hour.
Chop a tomato nicely and puree other 2 tomatoes. Keep aside.

Heat a kadai with 4 Tsp of oil over a medium flame.
Crackle cumin and then add asafoetida powder, slit green chilly, onion and saute for few seconds.

Then add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and cumin powder.Saute for few seconds.

Now add chopped tomato and saute until become soft.
Then add tomato puree and enough salt.
Stir well and allow to simmer on slow fire.
Heat oil in another kadai on another burner over a medium flame.
When the oil is hot slowly drop all the lady finger pieces.
Initially it makes lots of spluttering and crackling sound while frying.
Then slowly dies down and stops at one stage.
At this stage take out from oil and add into the tomato masala simmering on the other burner.
Stir well and adjust salt.
Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now the gravy would have become thick and shiny.
Add curry leaves and stir well.
Turn off the stove. [ The tomatoes were very sweet. So finally added a tsp of lemon juice. ]
Mix well and transfer into a serving bowl.

A spicy tasty tomato bhindi curry is ready.
A very good side dish for dosai, chappathy and poori.
It goes well with white rice also.
An excellent side dish for curd rice.




Other side dish recipes you might like to try

Indian cheese [ Paneer ]

vegetable kurma

cauliflower tomato kurma

potato kurma

karamani [ cowpea ] curry

For a variety of dishes

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