Okra in Special Masala

--aka Bendakaya Miriyalu Vepudu/Vendakkai Milagu Poriyal/Bhindi Kala Mirch Masala--
And we did it!!! Cheers to Indians all over the world. Oh!! what a win it was!!! From a losing state at one point to a stylish unbeaten finish showing the world that we are champions and proving that dedication and determination along with God's will can always give us success with dignity. India, you earned and deserved this Victory. Yes it was not an ordinary win as it comes with a morale "No matter how tough the situation is, though you may have to face a storm, "Never give up", keep trying till you reach your goal" As NDTV says we will be celebrating this happiness not a week or a month but may be for the whole year and perhaps be talking about it till the next world cup. LOL!!!
Well! though we may not want our world cup fever to fade, IPL is round the corner to take us cricket fans to a next swing.

Coming to the recipe today, inspired by my cousin in US who suggested me to blog veg recipes for the Lenten days, I'm going vegan for this month. And my very first one is this Special Masala Okra.For those of us who subscribe or stream Sun TV Tamil, must be regular viewers of Guinness record holder Chef Jacob's "Aha Enna Rusi" program, which airs Saturday afternoons. This recipe is a courtesy from their local kitchen segment. They actually called it Okra Pepper Masala Fry.

Different spices like, garlic, red chillies, black pepper, coriander along with channa dhal are ground coarse to make a special masala for this green veggie packed with nutrients. Then it is add to the tempered okra and cooked till done.
Special masala : Grind the following into a smooth powder
1 Tbsp Channa dhal
1 Tbsp - Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp - black pepper seeds/powder
4-5 Red chillies
4-5 Garlic cloves

Others :
1 Tbsp - Gingely/Sesame/Vegetable Oil
1 Lb - Okra/Ladies Finger, Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp - Turmeric powder
Procedure :
Wash okra and pat them dry with a towel.
Remove ends and cut into one and a quarter inch pieces.
Keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok/pan and allow oil, mustard seeds to splutter.
Now add cut okra, fry a little.
Add turmeric powder and mix.
Now add salt and the special masala and fry till okra is cooked but still crunchy.
Enjoy with hot rice and sambar or roti.

Besan wali Bhindi / Floured Okra Masala fry

------ AKA / Kadalama Vendakai Poriyal / /Senagapindi Bendakaya Vepudu ------

The new year has been nice so far..thanks to the good start... The excitement of new beginning makes me share something special and new too..

Inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor's besan wali bhindi this veggie dish is simply a melt in your mouth..Though I'm not a big fan of Bindi, I try to include it in my menu, because its rich in Iron. Growing up I was only used to a simply stir fry(Bendakaya Vepudu, Vendakai Poriyal) or a stew (Pulusu, Kuzhambu). I didn't want to cook these regular preparations this time..so googled for Bindi recipes and the first one to pop up was a video of Sanjeev Kapoor's "Besan wali Bind". I pretty much reproduced it here in taste and pictures!!! Though I played with the quantities a little, like I reduced the amount of garam masala so it won't overpower the other flavours, added a little chat masala, etc..Overall this has been a fantastic preparation satisfying the taste buds.

The fun part is that you don't need to use this as a side dish to Rice or Roti, it is so tempting to eat just like that!!! Good for me..I can save on some Carbs!!!

Ingredients:
1 lb Okra/Bhindi/Bendakaya/Vendakai
10 - 12 Shallots/Sambar Vengayam/Chinna Ullipayalu
1/4 to 1/2 cup Besan/Gram flour/Chenaga pinni/Kadala Maavu
1 tsp Kalonji/Onion Seeds
A few curry leaves - optional
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Dry powders for the masala :
1 tsp Crushed Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of Garam Masala
1 tsp Amchur Pwdr/Dru Mango Powder
1/4 tsp Chat Masala(optional)
1tsp each of Cumin, Coriander and Chilly powders
1/2 tsp Turmeric Pwdr

Method:
Mix all the dry powders in a bowl along with salt and keep this masala aside.

Wash and dry okra(Bhindi) with cloth towel and slit in the middle.

Now stuff the slit okra with the malasa prepared and add a tbsp of oil to this and gently mix to coat all the bhindi with oil. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a kadai/wide pan, add kalonji(onion seeds), curry leaves and saute' till fragrant.

Now add shallots(small onions) and fry for a min or two.

Add gram flour (Besan/chengapindi/kadalamaavu) and keep stirring till the oil leaves the surface of the pan.

Now add the stuffed bhindi and mix to coat them evenly with gram flour.
Cover and cook on low heat stirring occasionally till the okra is cooked and turns crispy.

The picture puts all together.
Serve hot with rice, sambar or roti. As i said it can be eaten as a appetizer too....enjoy and have a wonderful year ahead!!!