BHARWA BHINDI / BHARLI BHENDI

Bharwa Bhindi is a very popular, delicious and crowd-pleasing Indian side dish where Bhindi / Okra us stuffed with a spicy filling. I have already shared one different recipe of Bharwa Bhindi earlier on my blog. This vegan bhindi dish goes really well with indian flatbreads like roti/ phulka/ paratha or naan. In India, we cook bhindi a lot and almost everyone likes it especially small kids. There are many different recipes and so many variations of this simple recipe. At my place, usually I used to make simple bhindi ki sabzi with little spices in it. At some special occasions I prepare this stuffed bhindi recipe as it require little extra time that the other recipes. But this is also a simple and quick recipe and you can make and keep the stuffing ready in advance. The only preparation works you have to do is slit the okra / bhindi and then stuff it with a stuffing and then cooked in a pan. 

INGREDIENTS:

10-15 Bhindi / Lady’s Finger / Okra

1 ½ teaspoon Oil

For Stuffing:

1½ tablespoon Gram Flour / Besan

1 Medium Onion, chopped finely

1-2 teaspoon Coriander Powder

½- ¾ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder [adjust accordingly]

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1+1 teaspoon Oil

1 teaspoon Chopped Coriander

 METHOD:

Preparations:

STEP 1 – Wash Bhindi thoroughly in water and keep it for half an hour to dry. If you do not have much time then just wipe them with the kitchen towel to make it dry.

STEP 2 – Cut the stem of each bhindi, slit them vertically. Be careful that you have to keep the 2 nd end joined. Do not cut bhindi through and through. Keep them aside.

For Making Stuffing:

STEP 1 – Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and sauté well on medium flame till it becomes translucent and raw smell vanishes.

STEP 2 – Add all spice powders in it and mix well and cook for 30 seconds.

STEP 3 – Lastly, add gram flour, mix and roast for 2-3 minutes till nice aroma starts to come.

STEP 4 – Here you find the stuffing is too dry, so add leftover 1 teaspoon oil and mix well.

STEP 5 – Sprinkle 1 teaspoon water, mix well and cook the mixture for another minute.

STEP 6 – Add chopped coriander, mix it and switch off the flame. Your stuffing is ready.

How to Proceed:

STEP 1 – Take each bhindi and stuff it with the prepared stuffing. Keep them aside.

STEP 2 – Heat 1½ teaspoon oil in a wide and heavy bottomed wok/ kadai.

STEP 3 – Temper it with cumin seeds. When cumin seeds splutter,

 add stuffed bhindi in it.

STEP 4 – Add leftover stuffing masala in it and mix it well very gently and carefully.

STEP 5 – Cover it with lid and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.

STEP 6 – After 2 minutes, open the lid and turn around the bhindi very gently to avoid sticking and burning.

STEP 7 – Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon water over the bhindi to make it soft and again cover it for next 2 minutes. Turn them in between to prevent from burning.

STEP 8 – Repeat this till the bhindi becomes tender. It takes about 5-6 minutes to cook properly and become soft.

 STEP 9 – Switch off the flame and sprinkle chopped coriander and your stuffed bhindi is ready to serve.

NOTES: *Use small and tender bhindi for faster cooking and better taste.

                    * Do not cover and cook stuffed bhindi for a longer time as bhindi will turn mushy.   

                    *Do not add too much water, just sprinkle if needed to make the bhindi soft.