Besan Bhindi (Okra in Gram flour) This is an easy peasy and a very quick to make sabzi. It is very simple with very few basic ingredients. It gets ready very soon and yet very yummy to taste. I make it regularly as my son loves okra. I make it mostly for his tiffin once in a week and as it is a dry sabzi its good to be given in the lunch box. I make the okra sabzi the same way also without the besan and a lot of tomatoes/ 1 tomato and a little amchur powder and it tastes yummy. As most of us like to try out different options of making a regular sabzi, I am no exception and this is my variation. In Maharashtra when any sabzi is made by sprinking besan on top it’s called as “ peeth perun”. Peeth means flour and peerun means to put inside/ stuff. Most of the green leafy vegetables are made in this way and they taste awesome. As it is green leafy vegetables leave water after sautéing them. That is the time we add the gram flour and cook it. You can make any vegetable in this manner and it will always taste yummy. Do try out this variation friends. An Introduction:- Okra, also termed as ladys finger, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. This plant is known for its edible green fruits, or long green pods. Its scientific name is abelmoschus esculentus and also hibiscus esculentus. For centuries, this green vegetable has been widely grown across the entire African region. The species apparently originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, though the manner of distribution from there is undocumented. African slaves brought it to USA. It is cultivated in the entire warm temperate and tropical regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable. The plant prefers warm climate and tolerates poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. It is in the same plant family as hibiscus and cotton. Okra/ladys finger is one of the most common vegetables of the South-Asian countries. It is used in preparing many yummy and delicious dishes. When cut, it releases a sticky material with thickening properties, often used in soups and stews. Gumbos, Brunswick stew, and pilaus are some well-known dishes which frequently use okra. Etymology:- The word okra is derived from a word ọ́kụ̀rụ̀ in Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria. In various Bantu languages, okra is called kingombo or a variant thereof, and this is the origin of its name in Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French. The Arabic bāmyah is the basis of the names in the Middle East, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece, North Africa and Russia. In Southern Asia, its name is usually a variant of bhindi or vendi. In the different regions of the world, Ladys Finger is known by different names such as:- Okra, Ochro, Okoro, Quimgombo / Quingumbo, Gombo, Kopi Arab, Kacang Bendi, Bhindi, Bendi, Bamia/Bamya/Bamieh, Gumbo. Brief History in a Nutshell:- 1 The Egyptians were the first to cultivate it in the basin of the Nile in the 12’Th century BC 2 It was propagated then through North Africa to the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and India 3 It arrived then in the Americas at Brazil (1658), Dutch Guinea and at New Orleans before extending in the United States and going up to Philadelphia in 1781 Nutritional Value:- 1 It is low in Sodium, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, thus, an ideal diet for human consumption 2 High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese, Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Zinc and Copper. What do we need:- 250 gms Okra/ Ladies finger (Bhindi) 1 medium Onion, finely chopped 1 large Tomato, finely chopped ½ tsp Turmeric powder (haldi) ½ tbsp Red chilli powder (add according to your taste) 2 tbsp Oil + for frying the okra 4-5 tbsp Bengal gram flour (besan) ¼ tsp Garam masala (optional) 2 tbsp Coriander, finely chopped for garnishing Salt to taste How do we do it:- 1 Wash the okra nicely. Pat them dry. 2 Remove the stem part and the end part. Cut the Okra’s in ¼ inch size. 3 Heat ½ tbsp Oil in a kadhai. When it is hot enough put in the cut okra and fry them nicely while stirring occasionally. 4 Fry them nicely for 5-6 minutes. Remove and keep aside. 5 Heat the remaining oil in the kadhai. When it is hot enough add the chopped onion. 6 Saute the onion nicely. When the onions are done add the chopped tomatoes. 7 Saute the tomatoes nicely till they leave oil. 8 Add in the fried okra, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. 9 Mix it well and cover and cook for 6-7 minutes or till the stickiness of the okra’s is gone. 10 Add in the Gram flour by sprinkling it all over and then mixing it nicely without making any lumps. 11 Put only so much besan as to hold in. 12 Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Be careful as not to burn it at the bottom. Sprinkle little water if you feel the mixture is too dry. 13 Check if the besan is done and off the flame. 14 garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with chapatti or any other bread of your choice.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 04:15:49 +0000
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