Dum ki Bharwan Bhindi

Stuffing vegetables with spicy fillings is quite a popular concept in regional Indian cooking. The commonly used vegetables to stuff are eggplants, okras, bitter gourds, capsicums, ivy gourds and others. I tried this recipe from The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook, which is perfect for bhindi / okra lovers and also for those who enjoy spicy stuffed vegetables. The okra are slit and stuffed with a mixture of ground spices and cooked in dum style, where they are covered and cooked in steam on low heat. The stuffing is enough for the mentioned quantity of okra and if you have any left over spice powder, don't be tempted to sprinkle on the cooked okra. I used less okra and spice powder than the quantity mentioned in the recipe and ended up sprinkling the left over spice powder over okra which was too spicy for our taste.

A green colored looking okra dish is not welcome in my world. Give me some okra and I am sure to give you back a platter of browned and crisply done okra. This dish was like a challenge where I had to resist that temptation to fry but still ended up browning some of them anyway. You can cook the stuffed okras just until done, still green looking since browning them is not a required step here. 

Ingredients:
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. mild red chili powder
2 tsp. fennel powder
1 tsp. dry mango / amchur powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. oil
9 oz / 250 gm. okra
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients mentioned under stuffing, in a small bowl.
* Wash and pat dry okra. Remove the ends. Slit the okras lengthwise using a sharp knife to create hollow pockets, without cutting them into two.

* Stuff the okras with the mixture equally.

* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown add asafoetida and stir. Next add the stuffed okra and sprinkle little salt over them. Cover and cook on lowest heat setting.

* Stir them gently from time to time and cook until the okra re cooked through. It is fine if some of the stuffing spills into the pan while cooking. (I like my okras crisp and browned, therefore browned them and there is no need to do so.)

* Serve them warm with rice.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #100 under 'Stuffed Dishes' theme.

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