Stuffed Okra (Stuffed Bhindi)

A slight twist in cooking Okra by stuffing it, a little different from the normal chili fry okra or the plainly boiled okra. I used a plain stuffing by sauteing of onion and tomatoes along with ginger garlic paste and the Goan recheado masala paste to the okra. The Goan recheado masala adds a little spicy taste to the okra.

So to all Okra Lovers, this dish is especially for you. A little spiced and fried okra. Enjoy the Stuffed Okras :)

Ingredients

12 Medium Sized Okra or Bhindi
1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
1 Small Tomato, Finely Chopped
2 Tsps Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Tsp full of Recheado Masala Paste
1/4 Tsp Salt to Taste
Vegetable Oil as needed

Servings / Time

4 Servings / 40 Minutes

Preparation

1. Place the okras in a bowl, wash each one of them at least two or three times. Clean each of them with a nice dry cotton cloth.

2. Now cut off the top stalk from each okra. Slit each okra at the center, slit from the stalk right up to the tip of the okra, see that on slitting there is a nice wide opening to add the stuffing. Be careful to slit only one side of the okra, the other side should not be slit.

3. Now take a pan, add vegetable oil to the pan. Heat the oil on a medium flame. Once the oil is hot enough, add the chopped onion along with some ginger garlic paste. Once the chopped onion turns translucent in color, add the chopped tomato and the Goan recheado masala paste and salt for taste. Saute for a few minutes on a medium flame. Once ready turn off the flame. The stuffing for the okra is now ready. Allow the stuffing to cool. Keep aside for a few minutes. This stuffing can be prepared beforehand and kept ready or when the stuffing is getting cooled you can wash and slit the okras to save time.

4. Now add the stuffing to the slit okras through the opening created. Add as much stuffing possible into the open okra slit, see that the stuffing is evenly spread across the entire opening in each and every okra.

5. Once all the okras are stuffed, add vegetable oil to a non-stick pan. Heat the oil on a medium flame. Once the oil is hot enough, add each stuffed okra to the pan such that the stuffed part faces the top. Fry the unstuffed part for a few minutes on a medium flame till it gets a nice pale golden or brown color then turn the stuffed part of the okra towards the bottom facing the pan. Fry until golden brown. At this stage, you may close the lid of the frying pan to let the okras cook a bit for about two or three minutes.

6. Once ready turn off the flame and serve hot either as a snack or as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

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