Bhindi ki Sabji

Okra , Lady finger different names for our dear bhindi in english.

Reminds me of my college days. When-ever I carried bhindi ki sabji and fulka in my tiffin, friends sitting in the last rows used to finish it off stealthily during classes. Recently I met my best friend and she did not forget to mention how tasty my bhabhi used to make it.

Though its a very simple sabji, it requires a few techniques right from the beginning i.e. buying bhindi. Look for green with a smooth textured medium sized bhindi. Snip its tip if it breaks off easily then its tender and if it bends then not worth buying.
Wash the bhindi and pat it dry with a clean dry cloth. We don't want any water droplets on it as it increases its stickiness.
Another very important point is that never cut the bhindi horizontally on a chopping board.
Bhindi can have worms in it. If bhindi is fresh then chances are minimal but better to check individually. I always cut bhindi one by one holding it vertically so that I can see inside it after every slice I cut.

Serves :2

Ingredients:

• 250 gms ladyfingers/okra/bhindi
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander seeds powder 
• 2 green chili
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut off the crown of bhindi , snip its end and then cut the bhindi into small rounds.
2. Make one slit along the length of green chili. We are using whole chili here so that one can easily distinguish between chili and bhindi and can remove chili from the plate, if spice is not desired.
3. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan.
4. Add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.
5. Add cut bhindi along with green chili and cook for 4-5 min turning frequently for even cooking. if not using a non-stick pan then you may have to keep sctratching the bottom of the pan else stickiness from bhindi will stick to the pan and burn. 
6. When the bhindi is cooked add all the remaining ingredients , mix and cook for another 2 min.

Serve with chapatis or dal-chawal.