An Outlook On Stuffed Bhindi Fry:
Zest up your regular meal with this slow roasted Stuffed Bhindi Fry accompanied by a cup of cool jaljeera.
Stuffed Bindi Fry is a popular dish in North India, which usually tastes delectable with rice and roti.
It is a delicious North Indian accompaniment that can instantly spruce up any meal with some spice and tang. it tastes equally good with roti and rice as well and that could be the major reason for its popularlity. It is an indispensable side dish in any household owing to its delectable taste and versatility and as it strikes a chord with kids and adults alike. Whether it is a soft chapathi, a fluffy fulka, puffed roti, plain paratha, crusty naan, garnished kulcha, smoky tandoori roti or pearly white rice, the one accompaniment that goes equally well with all the main course menu is this scrumptious stuffed bhindi fry. Roti, Stuffed Bhindi Fry, khadi, moong dal tadka and Dhahi with Jeera make a fantastic combination that will satiate not only our stomach but also our soul. It brings back the nostalgic memories of days spent with our grandmas, uncles and aunts in our native village who generally used to gather in ancestral home for special occasions and the mega lunch prepared by a large group for hours. The aroma wafting out from our grannys' kitchen till fills our soul with love, pride and gratefulness. Thanks to the age old recipes and the memories that come along with them. It is our sole responsibility to pass on the ancestral recipes to the generations that come along and to explain them about the benefits it holds.
Now let us see the scientific factors about Bhindi and its therapeutic properties briefly.
The geographical factors of Bhindi or Okra:
It grows widely in the tropical and subtropical regions and grows in warm climate and its botanical name is Abelmoschus esculentus, and belongs to the family of Malvaceae. It has heart shaped leaves with yellow flower and the pods have a hairy base. It is a major vegetable crop in India for both the farmers and the consumers as well. These are largely picked when they are still tender and extracts from the seeds of okra are used to make edible oils. It grows well in sandy and clay soil throughout the year in India and comes in two colours green and red though green is more popular all over the country. Some of the common varieties of okra are hill country red, red velvet, blondy, burgandy, silver queen and go big and there are both long and dwarf varieties. It has hibiscus-like flowers and leaves like a maple tree and its stem is pigmented with green or reddish tint. It is widely grown in the states of uttar pradesh, madhya pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil nadu, karnataka and west bengal.
Benefits of Bhindi :
It is rich in potassium and calcium and has abundant vitamin B, C and folic acid. It is rich in antioxidants and therefore prevents cell generation, macular degeneration and cataracts. It controls blood sugar levels and prevents migraine too. It reduces bloating, flatulence and constipation apart from boosting the immune system and memory cells as well. As it is diuretic in nature, it helps to lose the excessive water weight in the body. Besides being anti- inflammatory and anti-cancerous it also aids in preventing kidney diseases. Moreover, it reduces cholesterol and asthma symptoms apart from supporting fertility rate and healthy pregnancy. Above all, it is a natural beautifying agent as it nourishes your skin and hair as well as it has high vitamin C, collagen and protein.
Try out some simple recipes of okra like this tantalizing stuffed bhindi fry and enjoy its benefits to the fullest.
Ingredients Required To Make Stuffed Bhindi Fry :
How To Make Stuffed Bhindi Fry :
Wash and clean the measured quantity of bindi and spread it over a dry cloth and wipe it well.
Slit each bindi in the middle for a depth of about one and a half or two inches deep depending upon the length of each bindi. Chop each bindi into two pieces and keep it aside.
Heat a Kadai and keep it in low flame. When it is eated, add the measured quantity of besan flour and stir well.
Tip in a teaspoon of red chili powder and two teaspoons of coriander powder with a nice stir.
Similarly add the measured quantities of cumin powder, turmeric and asafoetida and aamchur powder.
Finally sprinkle the required amount of salt along with half a teaspoon of sugar. Stir in altogether until it becomes fragrant.
After a while, when the whole mixture turns aromatic, turn of the stove and let it cool for a while.
Take each piece of bindi and fill it up with the roasted masala powder and arrange it in a plate.
Heat a kadai and pour in three to four tablespoons of groundnut oil in it.
Temper with a teaspoon of mustard and cumin seeds each.
Drop the stuffed bindi pieces one by one and lower the flame.
Pop the lid on and let it get cooked for five to eight minutes approximately in low flame.
After a while, just open the lid and gently stir in the bindi pieces and alter the flame to medium mode.
Let it get roasted slowly and wait until it turns light brown and crispy.
When it reaches the desired consistency, turn off the flame and serve it hot with steamed rice and dal fry along with a masala papad and chilled chaas.
Some Useful Observations:
* Choose fresh, long and slender okra as it enables easy stuffing and gives the best result.
* Other than groundnut and sesame oil you can also use any other cooking oil you use regularly.
* We add a pinch of aamchur (dry mango powder0 just to get a tangy flavor and it is available at all Indian stores.
* Slow cooking in low flame is the secret of getting a delicious stuffed bhindi fry.
* Do the stuffing moderately so that it does not spill out excessively while frying and gently press each bhindi after filling it up with the dry masala powder to keep it intact.
* It tastes good with Basmathi rice, roti, fulka naan and paratha.
* Use a thick botttomed cast iron kadai or pan as it is convenient and healthy as well.
* You can store the remaining dry masala powder in an airtight container and use it to make bhindi fry whenever needed. Or you can use it to make thepla ( gujarathi masala roti).
Ingredients
Directions
Wash and clean the measured quantity of bindi and spread it over a dry cloth and wipe it well.
Slit each bindi in the middle for a depth of about one and a half or two inches deep depending upon the length of each bindi. Chop each bindi into two pieces and keep it aside.
Heat a Kadai and keep it in low flame. When it is eated, add the measured quantity of besan flour and stir well.
Tip in a teaspoon of red chili powder and two teaspoons of coriander powder with a nice stir.
Similarly add the measured quantities of cumin powder, turmeric and asafoetida and aamchur powder.
Finally sprinkle the required amount of salt along with half a teaspoon of sugar. Stir in altogether until it becomes fragrant.
After a while, when the whole mixture turns aromatic, turn of the stove and let it cool for a while.
Take each piece of bindi and fill it up with the roasted masala powder and arrange it in a plate.
Heat a kadai and pour in three to four tablespoons of groundnut oil in it.
Temper with a teaspoon of mustard and cumin seeds each.
Drop the stuffed bindi pieces one by one and lower the flame.
Pop the lid on and let it get cooked for five to eight minutes approximately in low flame.
After a while, just open the lid and gently stir in the bindi pieces and alter the flame to medium mode.
Let it get roasted slowly and wait until it turns light brown and crispy.
When it reaches the desired consistency, turn off the flame and serve it hot with steamed rice and dal fry along with a masala papad and chilled chaas.
