A simple vegetarian Indian style curry, made with potatoes and okra (ladysfinger)…
My ex-colleague P would bring this amazing Aloo Bhindi in her lunchbox along with her chapathis for lunch most of the days. I have already mentioned about her in the Bombay Biriyani and the Mangalore Sukka recipes that were handed over by her. When she would open her lunch box, the simple spicy smell that would waft would make me salivate that at times, I would shamelessly ask her if I could tear off a peice of her chapathi to have a scoop of the Aloo Bhindi. Those were when we had just started working. After our offices got renovated and we got a room for our own department, plus her work obligations increased, the lunches together was completely stopped. But the aroma never went off my mind.
When we both decided to call quit from the company we worked for – she left a couple of months before me – I made sure to take down notes of this recipe to try. It isn’t the first time I had asked her. I had done that when we were together but somehow I forgot to note down the recipe. This time, I had to cook and make it a point to note it down on the blog since I don’t know if I may or may not be able to keep in touch with her. I believe that you can’t force every close ones in your life to keep in touch with you. This dish is really simple to make. The potatoes and okra are fried seperately before making a masala base and then tossing everything together. If you are like me who likes dry curries with chapathis, this is fantastic. If you like them as sides, then they go amazingly well with plain rice and dal tadka… Off to the recipe…
Aloo Bhindi | Spiced Potatoes with Okra
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes large
- 250-300 gm okra/ ladysfinger
- Oil as required
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onion finely sliced
- A pinch of hing
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp chaat masala powder refer notes
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potoates into small peices.
- Chop the okra and set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan and add the potatoes. Cook, sauteing till the potatoes are cooked and fried. Drain and set aside.
- Add more oil if needed and saute till the okra till done. Drain and add into the potatoes.
- Into the same pan, add oil if needed, or can use ghee. Splutter the cumin and fry the hing.
- Add the onion and saute till wilted.
- Add all the masala powders and cook till raw smell is gone. Sprinkle some water if the mixture is too sticky.
- Add the potatoes and okra and toss well to combine. Make sure not to break. Adjust seasoning and switch off the flame.
- Serve hot with chapathis with garnish of coriander leaves.