Aloo. bhindi

200 to 250 grams okra (bhindi)
▢ 1 large potato – rinsed, peeled and cubed
▢ ⅓ cup or (1 medium) onion – finely chopped
▢ 1 cup or (2 medium ) tomatoes – finely chopped
▢ 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
▢ ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder (ground cumin)
▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon Garam Masala add as required
▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder or cayenne pepper or paprika, add as required
▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
▢ 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur), add as required
▢ ¼ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed – optional
▢ 3 to 4 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil
▢ salt as required

Rinse and dry the bhindi (okra) with a kitchen towel. You can also let them dry naturally. Cut the bhindi into 1 to 1.25 inch pieces.
Peel and cube the potatoes. Make smaller pieces as they will be quick to fry.

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil in a kadai or pan. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
First add the potatoes and fry them till they become opaque, change color and become crisp and are cooked completely.
With a slotted spoon remove the fried potatoes cubes draining as much oil as possible and then drain them on paper towels.
In the same oil, add the chopped okra and sauté till all okra pieces are tender and softened or cooked completely. Drain the fried okra on paper towels to remove excess oil.
To check – insert a knife into the sautéed okra; if it slides in easily, it’s cooked.

In the same oil, add the finely chopped onions. Saute the onions stirring them at intervals till the onons become translucent or light brown.
Then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for some seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
Now add the finely chopped tomatoes. Saute the tomatoes stirring at regular intervals till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy.
Add all the spice powders except garam masala and dry mango powder.
So at this step add following spices one by one – cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and, turmeric powder asafoetida (optional)
Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or till the oil starts to leaves the sides of the masala.

Add the fried potatoes and okra.
Stir gently till the whole masala mixture coats both the potatoes and okra.
Stir and saute for 1 minute. Add the garam masala powder, dry mango powder and salt as required. Stir and saute for a minute.
Lastly add the crushed kasuri methi and saute the sabzi for a minute more.

With Indian flatbreads: Aloo bhindi tastes great with Indian flatbreads like roti, paratha, or naan. Serve a side of plain yogurt or simple raita.
As a side dish: You can serve aloo bhindi as a side dish with khichdi or dal-rice or rasam-rice, kadhi-chawal, or with any Indian curry and steamed rice.
Lunch box: You can pack aloo bhindi and some roti for lunch box.

Make sure to dry the okra pods thoroughly after rinsing. Okra pods with any water droplets on them will become sticky and slimy while chopping and cooking.
Use okra pods that are green, fresh and tender.
For a gluten-free version skip adding the asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida.
When making for small kids, you could reduce the amounts of ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder and red chili powder.
The potatoes can be steamed or boiled instead. But make a note that the soft texture of steamed or boiled potatoes will give a different flavor and taste.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

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