BABA'S BHINDI SABZI

Our baba ( father) loved cooking and he most definitely a great chef for us. we looked forward to his cooking which he rarely did because mumma was also great at cooking so he very rarely got the opportunity to cook but when he did he did a fabulous job. It was almost impossible to stop one's self from eating. I think his trick was to keep it simple and healthy, his recipe's were not complicated yet were really the appealing to the eye in the stomach. His opportunity to cook was when he was on his own while we were in Karachi on vacations, I'm not so sure if he cooked for himself or not because I remember he loved to eat with people around rather him eating on his own. but on the day we were to return he always cooked food for us all. It was like a religious thing for him to cook for our first day back home. He would never ever buy food on the way back home. And this was one of the things that he made even for dinner parties we had on request of our guests. i remember once some one had asked him specially to cook this bhindi curry. Bhindi is also known as lady finger or okra. Its a great dish for vegetarians and a quick fix kind of dish. takes about 20 Min's to make and it can't get easier than that. This dish is very close to my hear and helps me to calm down and brings back lots of good memories of old times. reminds me of my baba and I will always treasure this for its taste, simplicity and freshness hope you will too.

INGREDIENTS:-

• 1/2 Kg Fresh bhindi
• 2 Medium Onions
• 250 g Chopped tomatoes
  
• 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• Pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp Chili powder more if you like it hot
  
• 1/4 cup water if needed
  
• 2 -3 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tsp whole zeera
• 1/2 tsp roasted powdered zeera
• 2-3 green chillies
• some coriander leaves for garnish

METHOD:-

1. Wash bhindi clean and cloth dry one by one making sure its dry before cooking. (Don't wash after cutting the bhindi Always do it before.)
2. Cut the top and bottom of the bhindi, I cut the bhindi in half you can leave it whole if you like.
3. Slice onions thinly.
4. In a pan add oil , let it start to crackle add whole zeera than add sliced onions.
   
5. Cook on high heat till your onions start to sweat and the curry starts to change colour.
6. At this stage add all other ingredients except tomatoes and bhindi.
   
7. keep mixing at very high heat adding some water from time to time.
8. When the masala has turned a little golden brown than add the bhindi and mix well.
9. When mixed well than add tomatoes and mix once.
10. Don't add water once tomatoes added cover and cook on low heat till the oil starts to separates or at the touch the bhindi breaks.
11. take it off the stove and put in in a bowl add green chillies and coriander leaves as garnish.

The trick is to remember while making bhindi /okra is to not add water after you've added it to the Curry masala. other wise it breaks very easily and also has some sticky slimy thing that easily puts one off eating bhindi. I think with cooking its easy if one knows the tricks and trade of it or else one can go wrong terribly ending in a disaster the down side is that no one will eat it except it where as if you do it right you can get a lot of praises and impress your family and friends. Hoping this will be another recipe you'll use to impress your friends and family. enjoy..:)