Bhinda Nu Shaak (Gujurati Spiced Okra)

My mom has always been my number one inspiration when it comes to cooking. I remember the amazing aromatic scents of spices cooking on the stove wafting through our house almost on a daily basis. What’s amazing is that she’s mainly a self taught cook whose food is some of the best I’ve ever tasted (many of my friends and family would agree.)

I truly feel it’s her love and pure passion for cooking that make her food taste so delicious. Interestingly enough, in Ayurveda, they say that cooking with love is one of the most essential aspects of the taste and digestion of a meal!

There are so many styles of cuisine in India depending on the region. My family is from a state called Gujurat, which is on the western coast of India. Gujurati food is 100% vegetarian and I grew up eating only vegetarian food. Although I was super picky as a kid, as I got older and went to college, my taste buds expanded and I love all types of food now!

A typical Gujurati meal consists of rotli (an unleavened flatbread), dal (lentils), shaak (spiced vegetables), rice and sometimes kadhi (made from buttermilk or yogurt). Many cooks also add jaggery into the dishes which imparts a slightly sweet flavor to otherwise spicy dishes. It’s absolutely delicious!

Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite Gujurati dishes – bhinda nu shak. This is a dry, spiced okra dish and it’s full of flavor. You would typically eat it by ripping a pice of rotli and scooping it up with your hand. You can eat it over rice, but since it’s on the drier side, I would definitely recommend eating alongside a dal.

My mom taught me this dish by simply eyeing the ingredients so I did a little testing to come up with measured amounts for this recipe. Indian cooking is all about practice though. The more you do it, the better you get!

Bhinda Nu Shaak (Gujurati Spiced Okra)

admin My mom has always been my number one inspiration when it comes to cooking. I remember the amazing aromatic scents of spices cooking on the stove wafting through our house… Main Dishes okra, indian food, indian recipe, bhinda, bhindi European Print This

Serves: 3-4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2-4 Tbsp avocado or grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)*

1/2 dry red chili

1 lb okra

1 inch ginger, grated

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder*

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

*You can find asafoetida (also called hing) and cumin-coriander powder (also called dhana jeera) at any Indian grocery store.

 

Instructions

1. Begin by washing okra. Rinse in a colander and then lay on a dish towel to dry for a few hours. You want to make sure the okra is completely dry or it will get really sticky in cooking.
2. Once okra is dry, cut off tops and bottoms and slice into 1/2 inch pieces.  
3. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add in the asafoetida, mustard seeds and dry red chili and sauté for 30 seconds-1 minute until mustard seeds begin to pop.
5. Add in okra and sauté for a 3 minutes minutes. Once okra begins to absorb oil, add another tablespoon of oil and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add in turmeric, chili powder, salt and grated ginger. Add in another tablespoon of oil. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, scraping pan if it begins to stick. Turn down heat to medium if it's getting too  hot.  Add in a little more oil as needed. Okra does require a bit more oil than other vegetables. 
7. Next, add in cumin-coriander powder and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Okra should be slightly soft, but not mushy when done. Taste and season with more salt if needed. 
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving, if using.