Bhindi Do Pyaza: Okra, and Twice as Much of Onions!
1 Nov
Bhindi (okra) with a generous mix of onions and Indian spices – bhindi do pyaza (literally: okra with twice the amount of onions) is a lovely vegetable dish to go with chapatis.
You Need:
- Okra – 250 grams
- Onions – 2 large
- Tomatoes – 1
- Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
- Garlic – 4 cloves
- Green chilies – 2, slit vertically
- Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
- Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala – a pinch
- Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
- Coriander leaves – a few sprigs
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable Oil – 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon
- Salt – to taste
How To Make Bhindi Do Pyaza:
Chop and Slice
Wash and pat the okra completely dry. Cut into 1.5-inch pieces.
Slice the onions and tomatoes into thin strips. Finely chop ginger and garlic.
The cooking has two independent parts – the bhindi and the masala – that are brought together towards the end. I do some “parallel processing” at this stage. Put two non-stick pans on the fire at one go - pan A with 2 teaspoons of oil (for the masala) and pan B with 1 teaspoon of oil (for the okra). Cook both simultaneously. (There is no penalty for cooking them in sequence, but why not save some time?)
Pan A: The Onion Masala
When the oil turns hot splutter cumin seeds, then add crushed ginger and garlic. After 30 seconds, add onion strips. Cook on medium-high flame till the onion slices turn golden-brown. Sprinkle coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and mix. Cook for a min, taking care not to let the masala get burnt (add a few more drops of oil if needed).
Next add tomato strips and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high flame.
Pan B: The Bhindi
When the oil turns hot slide in the okra (bhindi) pieces. Cook on medium flame, covered, for 7-8 mins, turning occasionally.
Uncover and cook till the okra pieces turn crisp and dry (around 5mins).
Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt.
Toss to coat the okra with the salt and spice. Switch off the heat and wait for the ingredients in pan A to get cooked.
Put it all together
Turn the contents pan A into pan B.
Cook on medium-high flame for around 5 minutes, so that the masalas mix well with the okra.
Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala powder, mix and switch off the heat.
Bhindi do pyaza is ready.
To Serve:
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over bhindi do pyaza. Serve with chapatis, dal, yogurt and salad.
Meal in the pic below (clockwise from left): cucumber pomegranate salad, homemade yogurt, cabbage coconut stir fry, bhindi do pyaza along with chana dal rice.
Notes:
For a quicker okra recipe, try bhindi masala.
Looks fabulous..spicy and yummy. Thanks for the tip on parallel processing. For me its always a trade-off between saving time cooking and the extra pan to wash :)))
Haha. This reminds me of the domestic help at my aunt’s place. She worked in half a dozen houses, either as cook or for doing the dishes – but she refused to do both in the same house.
My aunt asked her why. Her response was that she uses too many pans while cooking and doesn’t want to burden herself with washing them all.
Hi !
Lovely blog . My dream of working on tweeking the vegetable dishes at home back to a more authentic flavor and style , is about to come true :)) so thank you !
What’s the steel utensil you have used for cooking ?
Cheers and all the best
B
Hi Babit, Happy to hear your feedback :-)
The steel utensil is Zwilling’s and it’s a personal favorite :-) More about it here: 3 pots and pans I own and recommend.